


Dream in Wonderland

by Catnip_3



Category: Alice in Wonderland (Movies - Burton), Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Alice in Wonderland Fusion, Crazy Hats, Dead plants, Dream Falls Down The Rabbit Hole, Evil Vs. Good, Fighting, He's okay tho, Hookah, Inspired by Alice in Wonderland, Iron Doors, Knights - Freeform, Many of them, Potions, Red Vs. White, Royalty, Stone Paths, Talking Animals, Tea Parties, Twins, Wonderland, crowns, dirty clothes, piglins, rabbit holes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-18
Updated: 2021-02-10
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:20:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 11
Words: 43,641
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27622627
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Catnip_3/pseuds/Catnip_3
Summary: He just needed a break. Just a quick walk before he would marry some girl that he didn't love.Of course, when did anything ever go to plan? Maybe it was the thought of one last adventure before he became a married man that drew him to follow the rabbit or maybe it was because he was secretly looking for an escape; but who cares?All Dream knew was that he was getting farther from his home chasing atalkingrabbit that kept looking at a pocket watch and mumbling on about time.As he ran after this rabbit the farther and farther away he ran from everything he knew.Did he regret following this talking rabbit? Well... he'd have to think about that later, preferably after he stopped falling down this bizarre rabbit hole; if he didn't die from the fall at least.What had he gotten himself into?UPDATES WEEKLY - EVERY WEDNESDAY
Relationships: Clay | Dream & Dave | Technoblade & Wilbur Soot, Clay | Dream & GeorgeNotFound & Darryl Noveschosch & Sapnap, Clay | Dream & Jschlatt & Toby Smith | Tubbo, Clay | Dream & Phil Watson (Video Blogging RPF), Clay | Dream & TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Zak Ahmed & Clay | Dream & GeorgeNotFound & Darryl Noveschosch & Sapnap
Comments: 51
Kudos: 70





	1. The White Rabbit

**Author's Note:**

> **Hello! So, this is going to be a chapter fic and for the first time I have it planned out! :D I’m giving another chapter fic a try!**
> 
> **The fact that this is a chapter fic isn’t the only thing weird about it. It’s also an Alice in Wonderland Au! Wow! :0 I’m pretty confident it’s the first in the Dream fandom but please correct me if I’m wrong. I’d love to see someone else’s version!**
> 
> **It is an Alice in Wonderland Au and it will be similar to the movie but I have changed a couple of things or tweaked the overall plot. It’s just based on the story - it’s not the story to a tee.**
> 
> **I don’t know how many words or the length this will be but I’m 55% sure this will be an 8 chapter fic!**
> 
> **Enjoy <3**

He was breathing heavily and starting to get winded from running so far. The rabbit bobbing up and down in front of him was what motivated him to keep going. 

The little white rabbit was quite fast and Dream was struggling to keep up with him. 

Why was Dream following this rabbit in the first place? Well, never before has Dream ever seen a rabbit holding a pocket watch and wearing a velvet teal coat jacket. It was the prettiest teal he had ever seen and it looked sharp and royal, like this rabbit was important in some way. 

It could be his mind conjuring up reasons to run away but he went with it nonetheless, at least it was some kind of escape no matter what form it came in. 

Dream also swore he heard the rabbit mutter a few nonsense things like ‘we’re late’ over and over again while he chased after the animal. Before he knew it, the beautiful gardens that marked his home became the untamed forest that surrounded Dream on every side as the pair continued to run.

As he looked back, trees crowded his vision and there was no sign of his families’ house. Dream turned towards the direction of the rabbit again only to notice it was nowhere to be seen. 

He slowed down to a stop and put his hands on his knees, catching his breath. The light green waistcoat that he was wearing blew in the breeze and he was pretty sure there would be sweat stains ruining it soon enough. 

He couldn’t help the slight annoyance he felt at the beautiful fabric. It was tailored by one of the best and it cost a fortune. His family had practically forced him to wear it because today was a special, special day. 

Today was his wedding day. 

He was forced to marry some duchess to unite the two families but Dream never liked the girl and knew he’d never love her in the way she deserved. 

Their wedding colors were white and green mainly because both his and the girls eyes were green and it’d complement them. 

Atleast, that’s what their wedding planner had said. Dream shook his head to rid these thoughts and opted to look around again, turning his head to the side, listening to the forests’ sounds. Maybe he’d hear the rabbit muttering somewhere. 

He started to walk forward a little, hoping he’d see the rabbit among the trees since he couldn’t hear the little thing, that was until he noticed something very unfamiliar in a forest.

At the bottom of a rotten tree was a rather large rabbit hole. The wind seemed to pick up the closer he got to it and soon his dirty blonde hair was flying every which way. 

He ignored his hair and knelt by the rabbit hole, peering down it. It seemed limitless and Dream bent over it more, hoping to see something- anything. He felt like he was meeting an old friend after a long time apart in some weird way. 

He found himself unlucky when he didn’t see a sign of the white rabbit anywhere in the endless hole and was about to get up; using his hands to push on the dirt surrounding the hole to stand. 

However, before he knew what was happening the dirt around his hands started to collapse due to his weight and Dream found himself slipping and falling straight into the rabbit hole. 

He tried to scream but all it seemed to do was echo off the dirt walls as he fell deeper and deeper and deeper into the earth.

Bright colors and odd things passed his view and Dream dully wondered how deep this rabbit hole really was or what it all meant after a piano nearly hit him in the head, floating threateningly as if gravity didn’t have an impact here. 

He soon got his answer when suddenly a floor appeared beneath him. Dream covered his face with his hands and tensed up - fully expecting to die from this kind of fall. He closed his eyes and waited for the darkness of death to welcome him.

But, it never came. Dream opened his eyes curiously and found he wasn’t strewn about a dirt floor but a black and white tiled one. 

_How?_

Dream checked himself over to find he was perfectly fine, no broken bones or scratches. His expensive waistcoat didn’t have the same luck and was torn in multiple places with dirt staining the expensive fabric. 

He shook himself off, stood up, and decided it was a good time to have a look around and stop worrying about his clothing. Surrounding him was a circular room with different sized doors. The room itself was pretty big and Dream wondered how this could be in a rabbit hole but did logic matter anymore, afterall he did just fall miles into the earth!

Dream studied the doors for a bit before realizing they may be different sizes but they were all iron and closed. At the same time he realized this, Dream also noticed something else that was odd. There was a wooden table in the middle of the room that a glass vial sat atop of.

It contained a liquid that looked greenish- blue and was glowing at odd intervals. There was a small note around it and Dream read it curiously. 

In printed letters all it read was ‘ **Drink Me.** ’ 

Dream looked around and made a split-second decision. He mustered up all of his courage and opened the bottle before downing it quickly. 

Before he knew what was happening, Dream ran across the room in the blink of an eye. 

_What is happening?! This is impossible! How am I this fast?_

Dream couldn’t contain the laughter that bubbled up inside him at how silly and insane this situation truly was. He doubled over and wiped his eyes of stray tears that started to flow from how hard he was laughing and wheezing.

He sighed and took a deep breath, calming himself and trying to be serious again, he was after all stuck in a room with no idea of where he was. He started to stand up fully again when he noticed something shimmer above him. He tried to slowly walk over and almost ran straight into the wall before he could get a better look at the object.

Above him, on a shelf was a silver key that seemed to taunt him as it shimmered in light that shouldn’t be there. He was miles deep in the earth after all and once again he questioned his sanity. He had a gut feeling that that key would be his way out but how would he get there. 

He still had the effects of the weird drink he had and a crazy idea struck him. If he could run fast maybe he can jump higher too?

Of course, logic would argue this and say it impossible but Dream’s sanity was already fraying and with a burst of hope he jumped. 

His guess was right and Dream suddenly found himself perched against the small shelf/ledge that housed the key.

He bent down and picked up the key. It was a rather small key so Dream guessed it belonged to a small door. 

He carefully jumped down and walked over to a small door, testing the key. Soon, he tried every small door in the room and he had no luck with any of them opening. In desperation, he started trying the big doors too.

He should’ve been unsurprised when one of them opened to reveal a 1 by 1 room. A small table stood lodged in the “room” and on top of it was another glass vial that read ‘ **Drink Me.** ’ as well. 

Dream sighed in exasperation and opened the bottle before downing it in one go, knowing the drill already. He set the empty glass back down and prepared to slowly walk back to the middle of the room when he noticed he no longer had the effects of the last concoction he drank. 

He was going his normal speed! Dream felt glad but it didn’t last long because he knew that whatever he just drank would do something to him, he just didn’t have the slightest clue to what it was. 

He paced around the small room for a little while, getting no ideas on how he could escape. He grew frustrated and in anger, slammed his right hand down on the wooden table.

It broke with a creaking protest but collapsed nonetheless. Dream stood back in surprise and awe at how he did that with one hand and barely any force. He looked at his hand and then back at the table, looking comedically back and forth between the two. 

He was strong, like really really strong. _It must’ve been the potion._ Finally, Dream came up with an idea and in a fit of happiness thanked the broken table for the inspiration. 

He sauntered his way to one of the iron doors and tried to yank it open. It didn’t budge so Dream tried again to get the same result.

 _Maybe it’s a certain door?_

Dream went to each iron door and tried to yank them open. Everytime he would get the same results. They just didn’t seem to move and Dream was losing hope fast. 

He was on the last two doors and Dream couldn’t find himself to be excited. He sadly took the handle of a bigger sized door and pulled on it weakly. 

For a moment nothing happened, then the door groaned and bending metal could be heard. Dream felt some form of hope and yanked on it harder. Suddenly, the door burst open and Dream made a startled sound before letting go of the handle and almost falling. 

He managed to find his footing and stood up fully, brushing off the dirt that persisted to stay on his trousers. It didn’t really do anything and Dream decided to worry about it later, he had more important things to do. 

He looked towards the open door and could see rotten and colorless plants in the distance. He cautiously made his way to the door and after calming his nerves, walked out into this new world that seemed to defy the laws of logic itself.

He took a step out and when he looked back all he saw was a closed iron door, there was nothing that could prove a room even existed there since the door was just standing there, nothing connected to it. He stood gaping at that mystery for a second before a voice spoke behind him and he quickly turned around to face the voice, fear coursing his veins. 

His fear calmed instantly as he noticed who, or what it was.

‘Well, well, well. Took you long enough! You know we’re already running late!’

In front of Dream stood the white rabbit he was trying so desperately to follow in the beginning of this adventure. The rabbit still held the pocket watch in one of it’s paws and he thumped one of his feet up and down on the packed dirt. There was no grass anywhere, just packed dirt and dead or sick flowers and trees around them.

‘Pardon me?’ Dream uttered out. 

‘Pardon you? You don’t need to be pardoned, you need to hurry up!’ The rabbit stated impatiently. 

Dream shook his head and couldn’t help but chuckle at the impatient rabbit. ‘No, what I mean is who are you and most importantly where am I?’

The rabbit stopped and stared at Dream for a moment before puffing out his chest. ‘Well, I’m The White Rabbit, or you can just call me George. I prefer George but again it’s your choice.’ 

Dream nodded for a moment before smiling. ‘Well, It’s nice to meet you George. My name’s Dream.’ 

George cocked his head to the side and chuckled. ‘Of course your name is Dream! What else would it be?’ 

Dream looked at George in confusion. ‘What do you mean?’

‘You don’t think I would forget your name, right? Right?’ The rabbit turned and started to hop towards a stone path that was a few yards away from them. Dream followed, and soon they were both standing on it. ‘The caterpillar wasn’t lying.’ George muttered to himself worriedly as they continued to walk at a semi-fast pace.

Now, it was Dream’s turn to be worried. ‘What do you mean “the caterpillar wasn’t lying?” What is going on?’ Dream couldn’t help but say frustratedly. 

He was dirty, confused, and likely insane because for god sakes he was talking to a rabbit in the middle of a warped world that shouldn’t be able to exist! 

‘Don’t worry. We’ll figure this out.’ George reassured before hopping forward a little faster down the path. ‘Follow me!’ He called. 

Dream had no choice but to follow the fast moving rabbit along the path. George was pretty fast on those paws and Dream had to hurry along to keep up with him. He tried to huff out something along the lines of ‘slow down, please’ but it came out as gasp due to him breathing so hard at the brisk pace the rabbit set. 

He continued to follow George before the rabbit turned at a corner ahead of him. Dream went after him but when he went around the same corner he was faced with a giant tree that had many different wooden signs pointing every which way. 

He looked around but couldn’t see George anywhere and grunted in annoyance. He had lost that damned rabbit again! 

Dream looked at each sign and realized they meant absolutely nothing. They said This Way, That Way, Wrong Way, Up, Down, Back, Yonder, and many other signs that had nonsense written on it. These weren’t real directions! 

He glared at the tree for a moment or two before looking at the sign That Way and deciding to take a chance and follow it. 

He walked down the path for a little ways and took the chance to look around at this crazy place. As he looked around, Dream noticed for the first time that all the plants seemed to be dying or were already dead.

The plants that were alive were a sickly yellow color and drooped down towards the ground as if giving up. The trees were the same with dead leaves and even surrounded on each side by the forest Dream noticed he couldn’t hear a single animal. 

In fact, he has only talked to George and besides the plants George was the only living thing he’s encountered in this crazy world. 

Dream - stuck in his thoughts - didn’t notice his surroundings changing until he was surrounded by giant mushrooms. He stopped and looked around at the giant brown mushrooms in awe, they towered over him easily and blocked all sunlight. 

He took in the sight for a second more and then continued to make his way down the path. After a while the path turned into a fork, one way leading left and the other leading right. 

_Left or Right? Which should I choose?_ Dream didn’t know until a morbid thought crossed his mind. _Well, I’m definitely not in my Right mind._

Dream made his way down the left path until he could make out that it opened up in the distance. 

He rushed forward, excited for what that could mean because he hated being surrounded by these giant mushrooms. But when he finally got there, it was a different story and his excitement faded instantly. 

In front of him, there was a giant and flat red and white polka dotted mushroom. On top of this mushroom was a caterpillar and Dream couldn't help but cough at the smoke that surrounded him so suddenly.

The caterpillar inhaled the smoke before exhaling it once more and putting the Hookah he had to the side. He was dressed in a loose suit and a red tie was situated around his “neck”, or atleast where a neck should be for a caterpillar.

‘Well, what do we have here... Hello there.’ 

Dream coughed one more time before introducing himself. ‘H-hello. My name is Dream.’ 

The caterpillar hummed. ‘Dream? The one and only?’ It questioned. 

Dream look on, dumbfounded at what the caterpillar meant. 

‘Nevermind, Dream. It’s not something you should worry about now anyway.’ 

Dream nodded hesitantly before pushing it aside in his mind. ‘And who are you?’ 

The caterpillar managed a smile and somehow adjusted his bonicle. ‘I, Dream, am Jschlatt the caterpillar and I think I can help you if you’ll allow it.’

‘You can help me?’ Dream questioned. 

‘Yes. Starting with that little potion affecting you.’

‘Wha- How do you know about that?’ 

Jschlatt chuckled. ‘Because Dream, I’m the one that ordered they be put there for you.’

Dream shook his head, still confused and starting to feel alarmed. ‘You knew I was coming?’ He asked in disbelief. 

‘How do you think George knew where to find you, Dream?’ 

‘I don’t think I understand... Why? Why am I here?’ 

Jschlatt looked on in sadness and anger, Dream was scared it was directed towards him. ‘Because Dream, Underland is in trouble, great trouble and I believe you're the one who can save it.’ 

Dream felt dizzy and sick from the information. ‘I’m the one that can save it?’ He managed to croak out in a small voice. 

‘Yes. But no need to concern yourself with that just yet. Let’s focus on taking away your potion effect.’ Jschlatt managed to point towards a small flat mushroom to Dream’s right where a small bottle sat. It was full of a pale white substance that also seemed to glow in a magical way. 

‘What is that?’ He questioned as he made his way over and picked the bottle up, examining it. 

‘That’s milk, it’ll get rid of the potion's effect.’

Dream slowly nodded and looked towards the smoking caterpillar. ‘And after I drink this you’ll tell me what’s going on?’ 

The caterpillar avoided his eyes. ‘Yes, then I’ll tell you what’s going on.’


	2. Caterpillar

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Chapter 2!! Just from writing Chapter 1 I already know creating this story is going to be so much fun and I hope you love reading it as much as I love writing it. Tell me what you think and if you have any ideas for the story, I love to read your thoughts and comments!**
> 
> **Sorry for the early post but I’m going away for Thanksgiving and the place doesn’t have wifi! D: After this, chapters WILL be uploaded every WEDNESDAY. :)**

Dream closed his eyes, took a breath and quickly gulped down the white liquid. Surprisingly, Jschlatt wasn’t lying and Dream felt a bit of happiness from the fact that at least one thing remained the same in both worlds; milk would always taste like milk. 

It was stupid that the simplest thing like milk restored Dream’s faith in that everything would turn out okay but the truth was he didn’t have anything else to hold onto. 

He was talking to a human sized caterpillar who sat on a giant mushroom, smoking. He should really stop being surprised at this point when he sees something out of whack or impossible.

‘There we are, now the potion effects are gone.’ 

Dream set the bottle down on mushroom and walked back over to Jschlatt, shoulders a little less tense than before. ‘So, you’re going to explain everything now?’

Jschlatt paused and picked up his hookah, sucking in a lot of smoke and holding it hostage in his airway. After 15 seconds or so he released the smoke back into the air, the smoke forming a thin circle for a moment and then dispersing.

While this was happening Dream shifted his feet back and forth, anticipation making him ansty. Jshlatt finally put the hookah and straightened his bright red tie a little with his small hands. After that was done he looked back up at Dream and smiled. 

‘Dream, there’s a lot of things that have happened. I wish I could tell you all of them but the truth is that you need to find out on your own.’

‘On my own? Are you kidding me!’ 

Jschlatt shook his head, antennas waggling and flopping in the air. ‘It’s what needs to happen.’

‘You promised me you’d tell me what’s going on!’ Dream gritted his teeth and pointed an accusing finger at the caterpillar. 

Jschlatt sighed. ‘I’m sorry Dream but I can’t tell you, even if that means breaking my promise to you.’ 

Dream took a breath and controlled his anger, there was nothing he could do. If the caterpillar didn’t want to tell him then he’d just have to find out on his own. 

‘Now, onto the help I said I’d give you.’ 

‘Oh yeah. I’m a little lost.’ 

‘Ahh, I see. And how did you manage that?’ 

‘George was going too fast.’ Dream muttered, it was quite embarrassing not being able to keep up with that little white rabbit but man could George run! 

‘George can hop very fast, I’ll give him that. But, don’t fret. I have a solution.’ 

‘You do?’ Dream asked unenthusiastically, the more he talked to Jshlatt the less he felt thrilled about the caterpillars’ ideas. 

‘Yes, I know where George was going and all you simply have to do is go back down the path you came. When you reach the fork in the road, go right and you’ll run into George in no time.’ 

‘And that’s all?’ Dream crossed his arms and tried to study Jshlatt, scared he might be lying about this just like he lied to Dream earlier. 

‘That’s all. Easy as cake.’ 

‘Pie.’ Dream couldn’t help but correct. 

‘Pie?’

‘Yes, the term is “easy as pie” not cake.’ 

Jschlatt openly laughed and then took another breath of smoke. ‘You have a lot to relearn, Dream.’ 

He managed to restrain himself from lunging at Jshlatt out of frustration and instead simply said his farewell to the 16 legged animal. After that was done he started going back down the path, once again passing the giant brown mushrooms. 

After walking for a little while Dream realized two things at once; the first was that his legs were getting pretty tired and he might have to stop soon for a break and the second being that the sun barely moved after all this time. He was very certain that hours must have passed by now but the sun indicated that maybe an hour or two went by at max. This meant that the time was different in this world too. 

_Great. Now I won’t be able to tell the time correctly either._

__Dream was getting really frustrated with this world. Even though his legs were sore, Dream managed to push on and went down the right path this time when he reached the fork in the road._ _

__The scenery was instantly different and instead of giant mushrooms or the regular forest, the bark on the trees seemed to be darker._ _

__Dream studied them as he walked by and after a while figured out they must be spruce trees. It was harder to tell because of the dead leaves but Dream was pretty sure it was spruce._ _

__He walked down the stone path for a while more until he stopped and crouched down. In front of him, through the trees he could make out a building and he had no idea what he could run into at said building._ _

__He heard glass clanking and talking but it was distant and Dream couldn’t make out what they were saying. He stood up, straightened his dirty and ragged suit and tried to walk towards the sounds with confidence he didn’t exactly have._ _

__His steps faltered when he saw the building and the people in front of it. The stone paths gave way to a large field that turned into wasteland the farther it went out. The trees behind Dream seemed to stop in a line as if an invisible border prohibited it._ _

__The building itself was falling apart, it looked like it could have been a windmill in the past but now it was in shambles. The windows were boarded up and it looked like it was starting to collapse on itself as the moldy and old wood held it up. It was to the left of Dream but he wasn’t as concerned about that because right in front of him were multiple tables pushed together and four pairs of eyes looked at him in variations of craziness and confusion._ _

__It was silent for a moment before panic settled in. Dream stood there shocked as a mouse and rabbit seemed to scream and a man stood up, flipping his chair over. Dream belatedly noticed George was also there, and had gotten off his chair, hopping over to Dream._ _

__He focused his attention on George when he heard the familiar thuds coming towards him, ignoring the yelling of the others and what the man said to them to get them to be quiet._ _

__‘Dream!’_ _

__‘George!’_ _

__Dream walked forward to meet the rabbit half-way and smiled, waving at him. ‘You ran away again and I got lost!’_ _

__George simply tsked and led Dream over to the tables. ‘I’m sorry, I was in such a rush that I didn’t notice you weren’t following until it was too late.’_ _

__‘It’s okay.’ Dream was very relieved that he was able to see George again. The rabbit just seemed so nice and welcoming that Dream knew he could trust him without a worry._ _

__Once the pair was closer to the tables, the man who was at the head of the table walked around and studied Dream, who stopped mid-walk and looked at the man; suddenly feeling self-conscious._ _

__‘This is Dream?’ The man said softly, as if scared the sentence itself would break if he was louder._ _

__‘Yes.’ Was the confident reply of George._ _

__‘Hello, Dream.’ He gazed at the man and took the time to study him. He was oddly dressed and wore a giant top hat that wasn’t formal in any way._ _

__‘H-hello. Am I supposed to know you somehow?’_ _

__The man laughed and it sounded like it came from someone who had lost their mind years ago. ‘Oh, no. No you don’t know me. I’m the mad hatter but you can call me Sapnap.’ He took off his top hat and bowed before putting it back on his head._ _

__Dream took a step forward and offered his hand, it was the first human he’s encountered since being in this weird world but he wasn’t sure how sane Sapnap was and if he even knew how to shake hands, after all he was surrounded by animals._ _

__He had charcoal hair that stuck out under his patched top hat and bright orange eyeshadow lined his eyes. He wore a big bow that had different colored flames printed on it and his pants were striped dark orange and black. He also had a jacked that was gray- almost black but not quite. His shoes and socks were mismatched and the more Dream looked the more he realized Sapnap couldn’t be sane if he wore this willingly._ _

__Sapnap had paused for a moment before taking the hand and laughing. ‘Well, you’ve already met George so I’ll introduce you to everyone else!’ Sapnap spread his arms wide as if he were addressing a hundred people but only two others were there._ _

__They were both cowering behind a teapot and Dream noticed it was another rabbit and a little mouse. They were both shaking and Sapnap shook his head fondly. ‘Bad! Skeppy! No need to cower, he’s a friend!’_ _

__The rabbit set the teapot down and looked at Dream uncertainly while the mouse openly looked at the human curiously._ _

__Sapnap made a face and went over to right his chair before flopping down on it. “Go on, introduce yourselves!’_ _

__The mouse started, puffing out its chest a little and trying to look a little mighty. ‘Hello! I’m BadBoyHalo, but you can call me Bad. And this here,’ the mouse moved his paw so if was pointed towards the shaking hare ‘is Skeppy, he’s a little shy but don’t worry he’ll warm up to you.’_ _

__Dream smiled and waved, trying to look as friendly as possible because he felt quite bad for the terrified hare. After he waved at the two, George interrupted them and indicated for Dream to sit. He looked at the chairs and hastily sat down in one. There were by far way more chairs than needed but Dream chalked it down to their failing sanity._ _

__After he sat down the little group carried on as if nothing had changed and he somehow ended up with a teacup in his hand as the others talked and laughed._ _

__Skeppy had managed to come out of his shell and was talking about something to do with the King of Hearts but Dream had no idea who that could be._ _

__He took the time to look at the hare and the mouse and studied their clothing. It seemed it was pretty normal for animals to be dressed it seemed, and Dream was kinda happy about that._ _

___Imagine if they were all naked…_ _ _

__He shook his head and smiled, no he didn’t want to think about that at all. He focused his attention back to their clothing instead._ _

__Skeppy was wearing a cyan colored coat that was brighter than George’s and his eyes were bright blue. The coat was wool and Dream was a little jealous since his clothing was all torn up._ _

__Bad wore a ruffled undershirt that looked like it came from the colonial ages. It was red and the mouse wore a black overshirt, a red belt was tightened around his stomach. It was pretty stylish and if Dream were honest, he liked Bad’s outfit the most._ _

__He blinked and looked back towards Sapnap who was smiling and pouring more tea for George. They seemed to talk about nothing and everything at the same time and Dream was feeling his worries slip away._ _

__As if the universe knew Dream was becoming comfortable, it threw another variable in to make him on edge once again._ _

__Dream smiled along as Sapnap and George laughed and talked together but his smile didn’t last long until it turned into confusion._ _

__Dream was sure he just saw Sapnap’s big top hat move but he must be crazy.. There, it moved again! Except this time the hat didn’t only move but it started to float off of Sapnap’s head._ _

__Sapnap paused mid-sentence and gave an annoyed huff as the hat floated off his head and then seemed to move around._ _

__Dream mouth was open and a line was formed on his forehead. He thought he’d seen it all but apparently it got worse because now the top hats moved to their own accord too?_ _

__‘Knock it off.’ Sapnap crossed his arms and looked at the top hat with a glare. ‘And stop taking my top hat.’_ _

__There was a sigh and before Dream’s eyes a cat appeared floating in the air and wearing Sapnap’s top hat._ _

__Skeppy and Bad waved at the cat and George just shook his head in amusement._ _

__‘Aww, but you know how much I love your hat, mad hatter.’ The cat smiled a large smile and floated back down, tauntingly weaving just out of Sapnap’s reach._ _

__‘Wilbur..’ Sapnap said threatening and the cat sighed, taking off the hat and setting it back on top of Sapnap’s head; black hair once again spread every which way from the weight of it._ _

__Wilbur curled his tail around it and looked at it longingly before purring and floating about a chair, focusing his attention to Dream who was still in shock due to the floating cat._ _

__‘Hello, hello, hello. A visitor?’_ _

__‘Yeah, his name is Dream, we think it's the Dream.’ Bad said a little too loudly and Skeppy hit him with his paw._ _

__Wilbur smiled and waved his coffee brown and gray striped tail. He was the only one not wearing clothes and he was a striped cat with bright glowing brown eyes. They matched his stripes perfectly and Dream found he was entranced by it and quickly blinked, looking away._ _

__The conversation seemed to continue after Wilbur’s arrival but Dream could see the cat watching him out of the corner of his eye. He decided not to point anything out, Dream felt a deep urge to trust the cat and knew it was always safe to trust his gut rather than defy it._ _

__Somehow Dream had ended up with a cupful of tea and a piece of cake on a plate in front of him. He didn’t argue and the cake was absolutely delicious with white frosting and red sprinkled on top._ _

__He was in the middle of stuffing his face full when horse’s hooves could be heard coming down the path. Around the same time he noticed it the others noticed it as well. Silence engulfed them and everyone paused for a moment before Sapnap stood up and knocked his chair over for the second time that day._ _

__George hopped onto the table with Skeppy and they glared defiantly at the path. Bad lunged for a fork and held it out, trying to look ferocious._ _

__Sapnap had also lunged, but not for a fork. He lunged at Dream and shoved him under the table._ _

__‘No matter what happens, don’t come out.’ He said this seriously and urgently, eyes conveying his feelings well. Dream silently nodded and looked on in fear and Sapnap got back up from under the table and dusted his striped pants off._ _

__‘Act normal and don’t give Dream away.’ He said quickly and a moment after shuffling was heard as the animals rushed back to their chairs and picked up their tea cups._ _

__The hooves got closer and Dream closed his eyes trying to imagine who it could be and what they would want. It sounded like there were many horses; at least more than a dozen and chills rushed down his back as he realized they could be well overpowered easily._ _

__No one sitting at the table above him looked like they could fight well and Dream shook his head nervously, silently telling himself not to think like that._ _

__They got closer and closer until it stopped and neighing of the horses could be heard much closer now. If Dream focused enough with his eyes enough he could even see some of the hooves The group at the table tried to sound cheering but Dream could tell it was a strained and tense conversation._ _

__Footsteps walked towards the tables and stopped just in front. Dream could see metal looking boots from where he was crouched and realized it must be some kind of knight._ _

__‘Well, the gangs all here.’ The metal boot figure said menacingly._ _

__‘Hello, Eret.’ Sapnap tried to sound cheerful._ _

__‘Sapnap, you know why I’m here.’_ _

__‘You know our answer.’ George interrupted._ _

__‘It’s not your decision, rabbit.’ Dream cringed at the tone and the table shook as Skeppy jumped onto the table, a bang following as if the hare threw something._ _

__‘What’s that supposed to mean! I’m a rabbit too!’_ _

__‘Skeppy!’ Bad tried to say but Dream didn’t need to see what was going on to know Skeppy was in serious trouble._ _

__‘Your decision, Sapnap.’ Eret seemed to ignore Skeppy._ _

__‘I believe George already gave you our answer.’_ _

__It was silent for a moment before Dream heard this Eret figure walk away and watched as his boots shuffled towards the horses again. He only said one word and it seemed sinister and warper. ‘Piglins.’_ _

__Suddenly Dream saw all kinds of pig hoofs charge towards the tables and take his friends - and yes, that’s what they had become in so little time - violently. There was a huge struggle and teapots fell and exploded into broken glass as he heard his friends fight back against these piglins creatures. Bangs were heard and large thumps and Dream was sure some of the other tables must’ve fallen down as well._ _

__Dream wanted to go out and help them but remembered what Sapnap said and closed his eyes, listening to them yell and fight back._ _

__He stayed under the table as they were forced away, their voices becoming more distant as time went on._ _

__Dream waited a little while more, straining his ears for any noise and deciding everyone and everything had left. He crawled out under the table and grunted when he cut his palms and knees on broken glass created from the tea cups, tea pots, and plates._ _

__He ignored the little stinging and looked at the surrounding. The main table was the only table still standing, the others had been knocked over and stuff was littered everywhere._ _

__He felt a pang in his heart at the sight and looked around, hoping by some miracle one of them would appear but luck was not on his side and as Dream stood there he realized the silence seemed deafening._ _

__There he stood in a mess of pastries and tea, wearing the same muddied green waistcoat utterly alone in a foreign place; the only animals and person he trusted being taken away violently._ _

__One question keeps reappearing in his mind over and over like a symphony._ _

____What do I do now?__ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **The End.. for now.**
> 
> **Chapter 2 done! Wow I feel like so much has happened already. And what about the last minute Eret appearance.. am I right?**  
>  **Wonder what’s gonna happen in chapter 3… :)**
> 
> **Have an amazing Thanksgiving <3**
> 
> **Goodbye for now!**
> 
> **Sincerely,**
> 
> **Catnip? No Way Man.**


	3. Cheshire Cat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Heyo! Wow already at chapter 3, I feel like this story is flying! Now where were we…?**
> 
> **Oh yes, poor dweam is alone :(**

The sky didn’t seem to fall but Dream still felt like his world had collapsed after the events that took place. George was gone, Sapnap was gone, Skeppy and Bad were also gone and Dream had no idea what to do now. 

He stood in the same place, staring out at the chaos of tables and shattered teapots for a long moment. 

For some reason, after meeting everyone and talking properly he felt lost without someone to keep him company. Previously, the thought of being alone would be fine but now it terrified him, Dream blamed it on being in a crazy world that wasn’t his but he knew the truth.

For Dream’s whole life, he always had to take care of himself and now that he knows what it feels like to be among friends he doesn’t ever want to go back to before where the loneliness and silence consumed him daily.

_Too late for that now. They’re all gone._

Sighing, Dream finally had enough nerve to walk forward and pick up one of the teacups that hadn’t broken to pieces in the yellow grass. 

He held it carefully with one of his hands, the other made sure there was a place on the upright table for the cup to be set down. After he made sure there was space, Dream set it carefully on the table as if it was a newborn and looked at it fondly for a second.

He duly noted that more of his sanity must’ve disappeared because this teacup was quickly becoming his only friend left. 

While he thought about this, Dream didn’t notice the cat that appeared in front of him, also looking around at the chaos in shock. 

The cat sighed and Dream popped his head up quickly, ready to bolt into the spruce forest until he noticed who it was and relief flooded his system. 

‘Wilbur?’ 

Wilbur tried to offer a little smile that seemed too tense and too fake. ‘Dream.’

‘H-how are you here? Why weren’t you taken too?’ Dream wanted to laugh with relief that he wasn’t alone, that Wilbur was there to combat the silence. 

‘Well, you see it’s hard to take a cat you can’t see.’ Wilbur managed to genuinely smile this time and disappeared, only leaving his bright brown eyes and Dream felt like he could look at those big brown pools forever, they seemed so mesmerizing.

‘Well, that’s nifty.’ Wilbur purred in response and reappeared, still floating in the air as if gravity was unknown to him. ‘So, what do we do now?’ 

Wilbur’s smile that he gained during their conversation faded at the tense subject and he surveyed the mess again with a sad and pitying face. ‘Well, there’s only one thing we can do.’

‘What is it?’

‘Get some help because we can’t do this on our own.’

Dream cocked his head to the side and looked around, expecting some person to appear and offer their help to the pair with a wave and smile. ‘And Where do we get help in a place like this?’ Dream had a snip of sarcasm in there but he hoped he hid it well, all he needed to do was upset Wilbur so the cat left him alone in silence again. 

Wilbur only smiled and didn’t say a thing, he instead pointed his tail in the direction of the stone trail. Dream was completely confused but nodded nonetheless, following Wilbur as the cat floated towards the trail. 

He felt his shoulders slightly tense, knowing his friends were dragged down the same trail and decided to focus on the floating cat to distract his uncomfortableness. Wilbur still had a smile on his face, it never seemed to disappear except on extreme occasions.

The two remained quiet as they walked past the same spruce trees Dream had walked by just hours previous and he ended up looking at his feet most of the time. When they stopped, Dream decided it was time to see what was going on and looked up, ready to ask Wilbur why they had stopped.

His question was answered almost instantly as they stood in front of Dream’s newest arch-enemy since he entered this world through that rabbit hole. It was that damned tree that held a hundred signs and his teeth started gritting together just at the sight of it. He couldn’t help the way his fists curdled together tightly, it was just the stupidest tree he had ever seen! 

Wilbur had made himself comfortable on one of the low-hanging branches and was looking around the dying forest with disinterest as his tail swung back and forth lazily. 

Dream huffed with annoyance and waved his arms to get the cats attention; successfully.

‘Mmm?’ He looked at Dream with a calm and lazy expression. 

‘Uh, so we’re just gonna stand here?’ 

‘Well, yes.’

‘I thought you said we were getting help!’ 

‘We are.’ With that, the conversation ended and Wilbur continued to look around. Ignoring Dream completely as he tried to get the cat's attention again by waving his arms.

After trying to do this for 10 minutes he gave up and wanted to yell in frustration but managed to restrain himself; instead he opted to walk circles around the tree.

He was on lap 12 when there was shuffling from one of the paths. He stopped and looked up, getting ready to bolt if necessary. The only thing stopping him was the way Wilbur looked at the shuffling with a smile, surely the cat would be scared too unless he knew it was a friend approaching them. Right? 

As that thought ended, two human boys bounded out into the open with crazed and urgent looks. Their gazes roamed around until one of them noticed Wilbur while the other noticed Dream. 

‘Wilbur!’

‘Stranger!’

They said simultaneously and the other snapped his head in Dreams direction. Wilbur purred and floated down, landing neatly on the ground in front of Dream with all his four paws soundly on the ground.

‘Relax, he’s a friend.’ Wilbur's voice was nonchalant and he wondered how the cat managed to keep his voice calm and steady at all times.

‘He is?’ They both asked in sync. 

‘He is. This...’ Wilbur pointed his tail towards Dream, who was still unsure about the situation. ‘...is Dream.’ 

Both the boys’ mouths fell open as they looked at Dream in shock. He gulped and started feeling self-conscious as they looked at him like he was some god on earth. 

‘D-dream..’ 

‘The one and only Dream!’

‘H-hello.’ He waved his hand and managed a small smile that he hoped didn’t look as unsure as he felt. He probably looked stupid, all dirty with torn-up clothes and crazy hair. 

‘Hello!’ They also said in sync and that’s when Dream realized they must be some kind of twins, after he figured that out he looked at what they wore; the boys were wearing the same thing and that also hinted towards their connection.

They wore ugly striped black and white shirts that made them look like escaped prisoners. Dream also took note of the mini crowns they wore; they were both silver and looked expensive with red hearts on the tips. 

They both must’ve seen his face when he realized they were royalty and were quick to reassure him.

‘No no no, it’s not what you think!’ 

‘We’re not actually princes!’

Dream only cocked his eyebrow and the two boys sighed while Wilbur took the opportunity to properly introduce them to Dream, wanting to change the topic quickly. 

‘Well, I’ll tell you who’s who. That,’ Wilbur pointed towards the taller boy who had blue eyes and blonde hair. ‘Is Tommy.’ 

‘And that,’ Wilbur moved his tail so it pointed at the shorter, brown haired boy. He also had dazzling blue eyes that Dream felt a little jealousy towards. ‘Is Toby. Or as he likes to be called: Tubbo.’ 

‘Well, it’s nice to meet you Tommy and Tubbo.’ 

‘Nice to meet you too.’ Tommy said with a smile and Tubbo shyly waved after everything settled down. 

After waving, Tubbo turned to Wilbur ready to tell him about the urgent news they had. ‘The others were captured! Eret walked them into the throne room in chains and Tommy and I rushed to find you as soon as we could!’ 

Wilbur nodded, ‘We know. We just came from the crashed tea party where Eret took them from.’ 

‘What do we do.’ Tommy looked at Wilbur for some answers. 

‘We go to Phil.’

The two boys seemed to lighten up from this statement and small smiles made its way to their faces in spite of the dire situation. 

Dream coughed and they all turned to him. ‘W-who’s Phil?’ 

Tommy and Tubbo laughed. ‘He’s the king!’ They said at the same time, both tones bright and awe filled. Their tone made it sound as if it was an all known fact and Dream guessed it probably was to them.

‘Oh?’ He looked at Wilbur, who nodded in confirmation.

‘You’ll understand later. Now, let’s get to the castle.’ 

He padded back to the tree and seemed to look for the right sign. Tommy and Tubbo were looking around the forest with excitement as if they hadn’t seen the trees for years. Dream started to wonder if they actually hadn't, maybe those shirts were correct and whoever took the others had also taken them at some point. 

He turned to watch as Wilbur found the sign he was looking for and started floating again, going in the direction that the sign ‘The Right Way’ pointed towards. 

_That’s ironic._

Why would a sign be labeled ‘The Right Way’ unless it was correct? 

Tommy and Tubbo took off after Wilbur and Dream followed behind, staying a little cautious in case something decided to pop up and cause trouble. 

The group of four continued on their way down the same stone path that all the other trails had as well.

The trees hadn’t changed much and were all still sickly and dead. This place was quite dreary. 

Tommy and Tubbo chatted away about things Dream didn’t understand as they walked and he took the opportunity to focus on the “greenery” instead or more like “yellowery” which caused Dream to snicker to himself at the stupid joke.

_Laughing at my own jokes now, another sign of insanity I bet._

They continued to walk down the path and he started to notice that the sun had moved a nice amount now, it was past the mid-day mark and he wondered what they would do when it got dark, whenever that would be. Time was still confusing him and it made his brain hurt to think about it. 

Dream also noticed that the trees were changing once again, this world seemed to hold every kind of tree in the world. He had seen and learned about a lot of different types of plants back at home and was able to identify the new trees as willows. He smiled, Dream loved willow trees; his mother had planted quite a few in their backyard for him to enjoy and Dream went out everyday to look at them and think in peace since his home offered little of it. Thinking about those willow trees put a familiar pang in his heart; a pang Dream didn’t want to feel right now so he tuned back into the conversation between the boys. 

They were talking about Sapnap’s tea parties and how they missed going to them. Dream guessed he was right about the prisoner thing and they weren’t here on legal terms. They weren't talking to themselves and he wondered who they were talking to until he noticed the way Wilbur’s ears were perked in their direction. 

_They must be close._

They looked at Wilbur like he was an older brother and Dream couldn’t find it as alarming as it should be, a cat being two human boys’ older brother? Nothing to worry about. 

He listened to them rant about tea parties for a while until the trees changed again but not so subtly this time. He looked up in awe as the willow trees went from sickly and dead to vibrant and bright. 

All the plants around them had gone into full blown and the grass looked greener than ever as they seemed to pass an invisible barrier between life and death itself. 

He looked back at the dead and sick plants with wide eyes then turned back at the lively plants. This world made no sense at all.

They were all still walking and the others looked unbothered by the dramatic change in scenery. Dream could only look at them like they were crazy for a second before continuing to walk with them having no choice if he didn’t want to be left behind, Wilbur was still in the lead as Tommy and Tubbo talked his ears off.

After walking for at least another half-hour, excitement seemed to grow in the air as the two boys bounced around, finally acknowledging the life around them that was in continual bloom.

They pointed at different plants and smelled some of the blooming flowers.

Dream was also looking around at the wildlife, trying to suck it all in after seeing so much illness and death. Since he was looking around in the distance, Dream was the first to notice the big castle that was making itself more prominent in the background

His steps faltered without his permission as he went slack jawed. Tommy and Tubbo stopped as well, looking at Dream with odd expressions on their faces. 

‘What is it, Dream?’ Tommy asked and Tubbo repeated the same question a second later. 

He didn’t say anything and lifted his hand; ignoring the cuts and scrapes from his adventure, pointing at the castle in the distance. 

They both turned simultaneously and smiled, standing still for a second before laughing and sprinting off, managing to duck under Wilbur’s floating form. He chuckled and turned to Dream with a bright smile.

‘That is the White Castle. It’s where we’re gonna get help.’ With that, Wilbur turned back towards the castle and continued to float down the stone path. Dream nodded and followed behind the brown and gray cat, wondering who was going to help them and also realizing that there was hierarchy in this world too. 

Thinking back to the crowns the two boys wore and the name of this castle he wondered if there were maybe two opposite sides. The white side and the… he didn’t know and decided to push it into the back of his mind.

He had better things to think about; like this huge castle they were currently heading towards.

He and Wilbur were getting so close to the castle that it was to the point of looming in front of them. The castle was made out of a white material and he wondered if it was some kind of quartz. It didn’t look sinister in any way and Dream felt a feeling of welcomeness, because of this feeling he didn’t hesitate to follow behind Wilbur, who was currently floating at a fast pace towards the castle in excitement. It was the first time he saw an emotion other than controlled calm and he wondered why this castle was so important.

After walking a few more hundred feet, they made it to the entrance where human guards let them in at the sight of Wilbur without hesitation. 

Inside the walls was a large courtyard that held little kids running around, screaming and playing while small stalls were selling simple goods. He smiled at the familiar sight, thinking about back home and how he loved to go to their market. It was always so full of life and served as an excuse for Dream to get away from his family. 

Wilbur was still in front of him, almost at the steps that led into the castle and Dream rushed to catch up after slowing down due to looking at the citizens and stalls.

The giant double doors that marked the front of the castle opened in their presence; Dream almost running into Wilbur after trying to catch up but luckily catching himself, they both walked in the castle. Dream became a little more weary at the unfamiliar building but he trusted Wilbur enough not to want to bolt right out.

The inside of the castle was nicely furnished and it matched the outside; white still being the primary color or more correctly, the only color. Maids, cooks, and guards were everywhere, work still had to be done for the day and Dream was forced to move out the way to avoid getting run over by someone multiple times. 

He found that he didn’t mind the commotion, the noise made his heart ease a little from the nervous flutter it gave out at being in another unfamiliar building.

Wilbur was still floating forward, tail flicking from side to side in excitement as he went to another set of double doors and pushed them open with his paws. 

Dream didn’t know what he was expecting but seeing a huge rectangular table full of teapots and cups was not it. They were every color and size, littering every inch of the table and Tommy was next to Tubbo near the end, drinking from one of the cups with a smile.

They both waved enthusiastically after noticing the pair enter and without a thought or care Dream was waving back with the same amount of enthusiasm. 

Next to them, at the head of the table stood a man who wore an all white suit jacket; it looked more expensive and fancier than Dream’s was and he got the sensation that this must be the king. 

The and the fact that he had a huge silver crown set on the table next to him. 

The man was looking at Dream with a welcoming smile and his hands moved to his head, where a white and green striped bucket hat sat instead of the crown. He took it off in a swift motion and bowed in respect, Dream felt he should be the one bowing in the presence of the king and copied the movements, also bowing. 

‘No need for that, it makes me feel old.’ 

Dream looked up and stood, straightening his back and huffing out laughter at the joke. ‘You must be the king?’ 

‘I am. And you must be Dream, I see Wilbur led you here.’

He decided to ignore the remark about his name, figuring everyone must know who he is here and focused on ‘Wilbur led you here’ instead. He nodded and noticed that the cat had started lounging on one of the chairs, paw precariously holding a teacup. Wilbur always seemed to be lounging on something, he couldn’t figure out if every cat was like that or just him.

‘I’m guessing you're Phil as well?’

‘Correct.’

‘Wilbur said you could help.’ 

Phil offered Wilbur a questioning glance. ‘Help with what?’ 

Before he could properly answer, Tommy and Tubbo were quick to catch Phil up with what was happening. ‘Sapnap, George, Bad, and Skeppy were captured!’ 

Alarm flashed through the king’s face and he quickly sat down as if he would faint after hearing such devastating news. ‘What?’ It was in a quiet and serious tone that held signs of disbelief. 

‘Yeah! Eret took them and we rushed to find Wilbur as soon as we heard!’ 

Dream found a seat and quietly sat down while they talked, his feet were sore after walking so far and his shoes were caked with mud. They were also very expensive and he imagined how mad his dad would be if he was at home. 

‘Well, we need to get them back and quickly!’ 

Dream had once again managed to zone out of the conversation until he heard that part, eagerness forcing him to sit still and listen. “I agree, we need to rescue them!’ He added and Wilbur sent him a smile from the chair he lounged on.

‘That’s kinda why we came to you, Phil. We need a plan, king.’ The word was laced with sarcasm and in any other world the person who said such a statement would be accused of treason. Phil only laughed at Wilbur’s nickname and nodded, his eyes glazing over as he let his mind consume him. 

‘..A plan… we need a plan.’ He muttered aloud. 

After a moment or two of awkward silence, Phil broke into a smile and nodded, eyes slowly losing their glaze and coming back to present. ‘Yes, I think I have a plan.’ 

Tommy and Tubbo sat up and leaned forward from their chairs while Wilbur’s ear perked up in Phil’s direction. Dream simply kept his head turned towards Phil, trying to mask his eagerness that he was sure greater than Tubbo’s and Tommy's at this point. 

`We have Dream right now and I’m sure the Red King doesn’t know about Dream yet. We’ll use this to our advantage, only if Dream allows it.’ 

Everyone turned towards him and he couldn’t help the red that made its way to his cheeks at the attention he got, even if it was only from four others. ‘I’m sure whatever the plan is, I’ll be okay with it.’ 

‘The plan is that we get someone on the inside. Then we plan a day for attack and the person on the inside helps sabotage and gain information for us.’

‘But we’re already on the inside.’ Tubbo had a confused face, gesturing to himself and Tommy. 

‘Yes, but my brother already keeps a close eye on you. If he finds out about these meetings you are going to be executed. I don’t want to put you in any more danger.’ Phil had soft eyes and Dream got the notion that he also acted as their older brother, it was like a mismatched family. 

‘So who?’ Wilbur’s voice remained calm and nonchalant as if he didn’t care about the answer at all but his eyes betrayed him, a curious glint resting on them as he kept his ears perked. 

Phil turned to Dream and he knew what he was asking, the king didn’t have to say it out loud. He cleared his throat and puffed out his chest a little, trying to gain some form of confidence. ‘Of course I’ll do it.’ 

‘Are you sure?’ Dream didn’t have to be asked twice, of course he would do it if it meant saving his new friends. 

They had a tea party to finish and Dream wasn’t going to let them skip out on it this easily. ‘Yes, I’m sure.’ 

‘Well then, we can’t do anything for today so we’ll wait for tomorrow until we make plans and act on them. Tommy and Tubbo you two should be getting back before you're noticed.’ 

They both nodded and bid their farewells to Dream, who found himself getting attached to them as well. They hurried off side by side as they headed to some other king. 

Wilbur had a frown on his face, his eyes once again betraying the worry he had for the boys as the doors shut after their exit. He blinked; adopting his lazy look and faced Dream and Phil again. 

‘I should head out. I have a lot of cat things to do.’ Phil nodded in understanding and Dream said a quick goodbye to the disappearing cat as well. 

After Wilbur was gone, Dream was left with Phil and the two sat in silence for a moment; Dream toying with a random cup he grabbed. 

‘I’m sure you have questions.’ The silence was shattered but Dream still fiddled with the cup, looking up at Phil who seemed like he wanted an answer. 

‘A lot.’ 

Phil slowly nodded, a small smile playing at his lips before he stood up from the table in an elegant way. Dream followed suit and soon he found himself walking side by side with the king down the long corridors of the white castle.

‘Well, I guess I should start at the beginning.’ 

Dream nodded and watched as they passed by similar looking doors during their walk. ‘That would be wise.’ He couldn’t help but be rhetorical but Phil didn’t comment on it.

Instead, Phil sighed, sadness crossing his features for a millisecond before it became blank after years of practice. 

‘It all started when I had a younger brother.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **The End.. For now.**
> 
> **:o Who’s the younger brother???**
> 
> **I guess you’ll have to wait to find out :)**
> 
> **Have a good one my amazing readers.**
> 
> **Sincerely,**
> 
> **Catnip? No Way Man.**


	4. The White King

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Wow.. Um Chapter 4. Thank you for all the support. I can’t believe we’ve made it this far! :)**
> 
> **I won’t keep you long and just tell you I’m trying really hard to make the chapters longer so I’d like to know if the length is good or not. Too long or too short or just meh? Let me know!**

‘A younger brother?’ Phil nodded and guided Dream outside into the courtyard which had beautiful flowers growing everywhere. There they found a simple stone bench and took a seat, sitting side-by-side and facing each other. 

‘I was only 3 when my mother and father had him. When we were little, we were inseparable; always next to each other. But then we grew up and grew apart with time until I almost never saw him.’ Phil had a glazed off look again, his eyes staring to the sky stuck in a memory Dream would never have. 

‘When I became 16, my parents decided it was time I learned to be king. It was only reasonable to assume I would become it when my parents passed away since I was the oldest.’ Phil blinked his eyes and looked to Dream to see if he was following along. 

Dream hummed and nodded, not having anything to add into the conversation. What could he say after all that?

Phil turned back towards the sky. ‘My brother.. He wasn’t happy. He thought he could do a better job than me and wanted to be the king, and I wasn’t against it either. My brother was a good leader and if it would be best for my people than so be it; but.. My parents were furious at the thought.’

Phil had stopped looking up and settled with gazing at his lap like a nervous teenager; fiddling his thumbs every so often. 

‘They fought and in the end, he stomped to his room and barely came out for… for months. When he finally started to come out regularly I noticed that he had changed… a lot. He wasn’t the same brother I knew and he seemed so, bloodthirsty.’

At this point, Phil’s hands were constantly moving and clenching. Dream felt bad for making Phil relive something that obviously affected him so negatively but Dream needed to know what was going on. 

‘I tried to reconcile with him but he was insistent on him becoming the king. Soon enough, my parents had passed away and I was becoming a king at the young age of 20. We were having the ceremony for me becoming king when my brother interrupted and attacked the kingdom with creatures we’d never seen before.’

Phil took another shuddering breath before he continued on. ‘I was forced to flee and hide away. The kingdom had fallen to my brother and soon two sides appeared. The white side and the red side.’ 

It made sense now why Dream had seen those red crowns, it was the other opposing kingdom that his brother ruled. 

‘I haven’t seen my brother in years but I hear enough about him to know he’s changed into some evil and cruel king.’

He felt bad for Phil, having to fight his own brother must tear him up if his reaction to telling the story had any say. ‘If you mind my asking, what’s your brother’s name?’ 

Phil was still looking at his twitching hands that lay in his lap but at this question he looked up with pain filled eyes. ‘My brother’s name.. I haven’t said it in so long.’ 

Dream didn’t say anything and only waited patiently for the king to say it. 

‘His name is… TechnoBlade. Or what I used to call him; Techno. He goes by the Red King now and I am known as the White King.’ 

He nodded at the names, it made sense that Phil only be named the White King because he was too pure to be named anything else. ‘But why is this world like this? All the plants seem dead except here.’ 

It was a question that bugged Dream’s mind constantly because there was no reasonable explanation. 

‘Oh, that… Well, when my brother became king; the creatures he had summoned to fight against us were not from this world and not from yours.’

Dream catalogued that statement, it was the first time someone acknowledged they were from different worlds. 

‘They gained strength from life and somehow they managed to drain it out of the plants and wildlife themselves. As if taking its essence. Of course, I wouldn’t let them in my border and that kept these plants lively.’ 

Phil and Dream were both looking around at the plants in the courtyard now, appreciating them even more after the truth was revealed about them. 

‘The creatures he summoned… they look like some sort of pig hybrid. This isn’t that odd considering there’s George and Skeppy and so many others but they have an aura of evil surrounding them that couldn’t have originated from this world.’

_What world would it have come from then?_

As Phil answered his questions it seemed like he only gained more. 

‘And what about Tommy and Tubbo? Why do they look like prisoners but wear a crown?’

Phil let out a humourless laugh that was full of uncontained pain. ‘They are prisoners. Techno keeps them prisoner because they mean so much to him. If only he knew he ruined that relationship long ago.’

‘I think I’m lost.’ 

‘Yes, you probably are, that’s my fault. When I was 17 two boys were found sleeping in our cellars. They were obviously peasants and the guards were ready to put them in a cell but Techno and I stopped them and begged our parents for them to stay. It seemed like the only thing we ever agreed about.’ 

‘They reluctantly agreed and together Techno and I raised them. They were already 12 at that point but I feel that their lives were forever changed. After our parents’ deaths when I was becoming king and my brother attacked, Tubbo and Tommy had a choice. They went with me and Techno was outraged; he claimed I’d brainwashed them.’ 

Dream let out a laugh at the crazy accusation. Phil joined him with a small chuckle for a moment and then continued on when they settled down. 

‘He managed to sneak into our newly made castle…’ His tone turned solemn once again. ‘He kidnapped Tommy and Tubbo and he keeps them prisoner. Of course they’re allowed to leave but they must always come back or Techno will hunt them down again.’ 

‘Why don’t they just run away and hide?’ 

‘They tried but Techno always seems to find them wherever they are. They only have enough time to visit shortly before they must go back to the castle or Techno sends someone out to find them.’ 

Dream felt anger rise in his chest; a wave of protectiveness for the two boys washing over him. 

‘So where do I come in? Why am I so important?’ 

‘There’s a prophecy.’

‘Oh?’ Dream couldn’t help but be shocked by this, he was in a prophecy? 

‘It was said that when the final battle between red and white occurs, a noble knight will fight and win on white’s behalf. Defeating the Red King and saving all of Wonderland.’

‘Wonderland?’ His voice came out as a shocked whisper. 

‘That’s what our world is called. Wonderland.’

‘But… Jschlatt called it Underland.’ 

‘That’s what it was named after Techno took over, in response to the dead plants. However, I refuse to call it that. It will always be Wonderland to me.’ Dream nodded and decided it was better to ask his other question now.

‘And I’m going to become a knight and fight for you?’ 

Phil gave him a small smile and lifted his hand onto Dream’s shoulder in a reassuring manner. 

‘We don’t have to worry about that now; let’s focus on getting our friend’s back first.’ 

He could only nod, still trying to process all the information Phil gave him. His shocked face must’ve hinted to Phil that he couldn’t take in anymore information because the king stayed silent and instead looked around the courtyard. 

While they talked, the sun had begun its descent and the sky turned into a mix of orange, yellow, and pink. It was a beautiful sight that seemed to calm down his nerves.

After watching the sunset with Phil, the king stood and offered his hand to Dream; helping him up. He offered out a small ‘thanks’ in return and Phil led them back through the castle. 

Instead of going to the main room where the table was, he stopped in front of a closed door. 

‘It’s getting late and you probably have had a tough day.’ 

Dream couldn’t argue, he did. 

‘Get some sleep and we’ll talk more about our plan in the morning. Goodnight, Dream.’

‘Goodnight Phil.’ The king took off down the hall and turned a corner, leaving Dream’s sight. 

He turned and hesitantly opened the door, taking a peek in to see a regal bedroom that had a white bed in the middle. He opened the door all the way and barely closed it again before collapsing on the king sized bed. 

There was also a wardrobe, table and chairs, and nightstand in the nicely sized room as well but Dream barely gave them any attention. He was convinced he was in heaven because this bed felt amazing. 

It may be because of him walking all day and barely getting a break but he found he didn’t care about why he was so exhausted, just that he was.

He took off his battered shoes and set them carefully down on the floor. He had stood up and opened the wardrobe, wondering if it was empty. He wasn’t expecting to find anything but he was pleasantly surprised. 

He probably should have been worried that there were sleeping clothes his exact size placed in there but he was just too tired to care. He quickly changed and threw the dirty expensive wedding clothes in a careless pile. 

After that was done, he collapsed back on the bed and tucked himself under the covers. He may have been exhausted but different thoughts still swirled his mind, unwillingly letting him escape into the comforting silence of sleep. 

It took at least another 15 minutes before his eyelids started to drop closed from exhaustion. Dream happily let sleep take over and he drifted peacefully into oblivion. 

…brightness.

…so so bright.

...too much light.

Dream slowly blinked open his eyes with a groan. The beautiful green eyes twinkled in the morning light that showed through the huge windows of the room. It nearly blinded him and he quickly shifted his body away on instinct. 

The curtains did little to shield the light from his eyes since they were white and almost see through.

_The light must’ve woken me._

Dream wanted to groan again because it seemed like only minutes ago he was falling asleep. 

He had never been a morning person and being in a different world didn’t change that. He slowly got himself out of the oh, so welcoming covers and managed to sit up stiffly. 

He rolled his shoulders and then rubbed his eyes. He yawned and forced his body into a standing position. He slowly shuffled across the room to the wardrobe and opened it up. He let out a sad sigh at noticing it was completely void of any other clothing. He had only focused on the night clothes, forgetting that’s all that was there. 

Whoever had put the night clothes in there didn’t think about the morning and Dream gave a disgusted look at his pile of dirty clothes. 

He wasn’t going to walk around in white night clothes so that meant he had to put on his dirty and ripped wedding clothes back on. 

He didn’t have a choice and Dream decided it was better to just get it over with. He made his way over and changed back into the green waistcoat that seemed to become a close companion to him over the course of a day.

After that was done he studied the room properly in the light. Last night he was so exhausted that his only thought was a bed. Now he could tell there were multiple furniture pieces arranged around the room all colored white. He also noticed the door in the back corner and opened it to reveal an elegant bathroom. 

It had a toilet, sink, and shower in it that Dream promised he’d take advantage of later. 

After checking out the room completely he went over to his door and opened it slowly, looking around before completely entering the hallway. 

He didn’t know if he wanted to see people or not but it didn’t matter since the hallway was barren except for him. 

He looked left, then right and decided to go to the left. The halls all looked the same and Dream found out that he was instantly lost, not remembering where the main dining area was or the way Phil had taken him. 

He spent the next half an hour or so walking around and looking for some kind of familiar object to signal where he was. Finally, he got a lucky break when a maid passed him in the hall. She gave him a weird look when he called out to her but approached him nonetheless. 

‘What can I do for you?’ 

He rubbed his neck. ‘I’m looking for the dining room. I’m a little lost.’ 

She stopped giving him a weird look and smiled at him. ‘Don’t worry! I know the castle like the back of my hand, follow me.’ 

She walked down the hall and Dream was right on her heels, trying to keep track of the turns but giving up after counting ten. In no time at all he was standing in front of a set of double doors with the maid giving her farewell. 

He thanked her again (he’d already done it at least 15 times on the way) before he opened one of the doors, walking in to see Phil at the head of the table. 

He seemed to be munching on toast and staring at some papers until he looked up at the sound of the door. He gave a bright smile and gestured for him to take a seat.

He obeyed and sat at one of the closest chairs to Phil, noticing that the table was cleaned up and looked normal. The sign of it being full of teapots the other day was gone and one of the maid’s entered the room a second later. She put a plate of food in front of Dream that was full of bacon, eggs, sausage, and biscuits. 

He picked up a fork and ate the food quickly, it had been too long since he had a decent meal. 

Phil looked like he wanted to make a remark about it but kept his mouth shut and looked at the papers in front of him instead. 

After Dream stuffed his mouth full and cleaned the plate, he set it aside and wiped his hands with a napkin. If he was at home, he’d be yelled at about not eating properly but Phil hadn’t uttered a word about which meant he mustn’t care. 

Dream was finding out that he liked the king more and more as time went by. 

Now that Dream was done with the food, he had nothing else to do and sat there quietly while Phil gave all his attention to the papers in front of him. 

This continued until Phil looked up and let out a little airy laugh. ‘You could’ve said you were done.’

‘I didn’t want to disturb you, those paper’s looked important.’ He tried to defend himself.

‘I was waiting on you to finish up and these papers are just games. Nothing important at all.’ Phil held up the paper to show Dream that it was an eye spy game. 

His cheeks turned a shade red but he tried to shake it off by giving Phil a funny look. If Phil noticed the brightening cheeks, he didn’t comment on it and Dream was thankful that no more attention was drawn to him. 

‘Well, now that we’ve both eaten I think it’s time to talk about this plan to save our friends.’

‘I’ll willingly play my part, I’ll be fine.’ 

‘Okay, well when we parted ways last night I managed to talk to a friend that can help us get you into the castle.’ 

‘How?’

‘After thinking last night, I think it would be best if you try to.. Befriend Techno.’

‘Befriend him?’ His tone was straight disbelief.

‘We need you to gain all the information you can, the best way to do this is to get close to my brother.’

‘How do I do that?’

‘You act like you're lost. My brother doesn’t know who you are and I know he’ll take any opportunity he can get to have another ally.’

‘And he’ll fall for it 100%?’

Phil nodded with confidence only a king could have. ‘It looks like you're already ready for the part too.’ He motioned toward Dream’s ripped clothes. 

Dream looked down at the mud that caked him. ‘What do you mean?’ 

‘It has to look like you're lost and alone. Those clothes make it look like you truly are lost.’

It made perfect sense and it could work but there was only one thing..

‘How are they supposed to find me?’

Phil gave him a charming smile and pushed his chair back, standing up with Dream following suit. Phil once again led him through the castle until he opened another set of double doors that turned out to be the castle's entrance. 

People were bustling around with things they needed to do for the day, some noticed Phil and bowed or waved to him with him waving back in return. 

They stood at the entrance to the castle for a little while until Dream couldn’t take it anymore. He turned to Phil ready to ask what they were doing but he didn't have the chance. 

There was barking in the distance and some of the people parted ways for a hound to come running through. 

Just stopping in front of Phil and Dream, looking up at them with bright and intelligent eyes. ‘You called?’ 

Dream really needed to stop being surprised at talking animals, because of course the hound would be able to talk. 

‘Yes, it’s about our plan.’ 

The hound nodded and sat down. ‘We’re doing it today?’ His tail wagged slightly.

Phil nodded and gestured to Dream. ‘This is Dream, the one you’re gonna find.’

‘Hello!’ 

‘Hello Dream. I’m Zelk.’

Zelk was quite a weird name but he liked the uniqueness of it a lot. 

‘Zelk is forced to serve the Red King. He’ll pretend to find you and bark to alert the others.’ 

‘Forced?’ He looked between Zelk and Phil. They each had different pitying looks until Zelk spoke up. 

‘He took my family and said if I didn’t serve him then he’d kill’em. Of course, I’m loyal to the White King,’ Zelk bowed as he addressed Phil. ‘But my wife just had three pups that I want to see again.’

‘It’s okay Zelk, you’re doing the right thing.’ Phil reassured and Zelk let out an appreciative whine. 

He felt bad for the poor hound, Techno must be really evil to capture a precious dog and her pups. 

‘So what do I do?’ He still didn’t exactly know the plan.

‘I’m going to take you to the area we’ll be patrolling today.’ Zelk’s tail was wagging again. 

He was an all brown hound with bright brown eyes and large ears. He seemed like he wouldn’t hurt a fly and Dream realized Techno must be using him like a bloodhound, which only seemed cruel.

‘Then I what, just walk around there?’

‘Precisely.’ Phil had a smug look on his face. ‘The plan should work out well.’ 

Dream wanted to say more but Zelk interrupted them. ‘We have to go now if we want to make it in time.’

They were leaving already? 

Phil gave a small nod and turned to Dream. He walked forward and suddenly Dream found himself hugging a king. ‘I know you can do it.’ Phil whispered in his ear. 

After letting go, Dream waved goodbye and let Zelk lead him down the stone path. His heart was beating out of his chest and he could only hope this plan would work out. 

Zelk was going at a fast pace and Dream ended up having to jog most of the time to keep up. At least he wasn’t going like George, leaving him in the dust and alone in an unfamiliar place. 

He was mad at George about it, it wasn’t the rabbit fault he was so fast but he was nervous about being left behind again. He had only been in this world for a day now, while he felt more familiar with it he still had no clue where anything was. 

They quickly passed the border that marked dead from alive and the eerie feeling of death surrounded him like it had yesterday. Zelk didn’t take any notice and continued to charge down the path. 

By the time they made it to the multiple sign tree, Dream was huffing and puffing. He drew in ragged breaths as his body tried to control his breathing. 

Zelk stopped for a moment and gave Dream an amused glance. ‘Not much of a runner?’ The hound couldn’t help but tease the poor human. 

All Dream could do was shake his head. Something along the lines of ‘your a dog, it’s no fair’ appeared in his head but he didn’t have the breath to say it out loud. 

Zelk let Dream rest for a moment before he took off again; albeit at a slower pace. 

The path they went down had a sign pointing towards it that said ‘The Wrong Way’ and Dream couldn’t agree more. 

_We must be heading towards the Red Castle then._

The further they went the more the trees seemed to die. It went from them being sickly and yellow to absolutely dead trees. No leaves grew on the branches and they looked brittle. 

The grass was also brown, drooping to the ground and Dream realized he saw more dirt than grass.

As they went deeper and deeper into the dead forest, more dread filled his gut. It was his make it or break it moment and he was getting really scared this plan wouldn’t turn out as well as they hoped. 

Zelk stopped in front of him in the middle of the path. Dream looked around to try and see if something caused the hound to stop but only dead forest surrounded them. 

‘What is it?’ 

‘This is where we part ways.’ Zelk looked just as nervous as him. 

‘Already?’ His voice went a little higher against his will. 

‘I’m afraid so.’ Zelk truly did look sorry and he knew he couldn’t blame the hound for leaving him here. 

‘What do I do?’

‘Go off the path and into the forest. You have a very distinguishable scent and I’ll start barking when I smell your trail. Don’t panic and try to run away and don’t look threatening.’ 

He nodded, hanging onto every word. ‘I’ll lead Eret to you and it’s up to you to come up with a backstory.’ 

A backstory? 

‘Goodbye, Dream.’

‘Goodbye Zelk.’ 

The hound turned away from Dream and ran down the path, he lost sight of Zelk seconds after. 

He was left alone in a creepy dead forest and Dream hated himself for ever agreeing to this. There was nothing to be done now except to follow Zelk’s orders.

He decided to mix things up and went to his right, slowly making his way off the path and into the dead forest. 

There was still no sound to be heard, the wildlife was still completely nonexistent and Dream wished he could hear just one bird chirp. 

He continued to make his way through the trees and deeper into the forest. With only a few steps in he was already lost and couldn’t see the stone path anywhere. 

He tried to quell the panic in his bones but gave up on it; no matter what he’d be nervous. 

While he walked around in the forest, careful not to make too much noise in case he attracted someone or something he shouldn't, Dream realized there was a major flaw in their plan. 

Zelk had never told him when he was going on this patrol or when he’d start looking for Dream. 

He could be stuck walking around this forest for half the day! 

His frustration mounted but Dream continued to make his way through the forest. He may be upset but he wasn’t going to jeopardize the whole plan because of it. 

While he walked, Dream tried to figure out what trees these were. The others were hard to guess because of the sick leaves but now it was almost impossible. 

He would guess maybe dark oak or spruce because of the almost black-ish bark.

Dream still continued to walk, his feet were begging to hurt again and he wondered how long he had been walking. The sun was high in the sky by now and warming Dream up with its bright streams of light. 

It wasn’t too cold in Wonderland but it definitely wasn’t warm either. It was especially colder for him since there were so many rips in his waistcoat. 

Dream was starting to count the number of trees he saw, bored out of his mind and desperate for some sort of entertainment. 

It seemed that counting things was very lucky for him because around 47 he heard a sound in the distance. 

He knew what he hoped it was but he also had to be careful, anyone could be in the forest. 

He was lucky again when the distinct sound of barking appeared. Zelk had found his scent!

The barking continued and Dream stopped as it got louder and louder until it was almost right next to him.

Zelk rushed out of the bushes, continuing to bark something fierce but also managing to give Dream a reassuring look. 

Minutes later there was more bustling and he tried to drop his shoulders a little and look scared and lost. 

A man came bustling out of the dead undergrowth, sword in hand and looking around madly. Two pig hybrid creatures were also behind him, swords also in their hands. 

Zelk stopped barking and the man caught sight of Dream. He held up his sword and pointed it at him with a hard look. 

‘Who are you.’ It wasn’t a question but a statement and Dream vaguely recognized the voice as Eret. Eret, the man who had taken his friends and all he wanted to do was punch him in the face, of course he mustered up all the self-restraint he could. 

‘I-I’m Dream. I got lost.’ He had plenty of time to think about his cover story and hoped Eret would buy it. He also made his voice sound small and pathetic, looking as non-threatening as possible.

‘Lost?’ Eret definitely sounded like he didn’t believe Dream for a moment and he was getting more nervous by the second. 

‘Yes.’ He tried to insist on it, if Eret didn’t believe him then he would be in big trouble. 

‘We’ll see what the King says. Nice job, mutt.’ Zelk looked like he wanted to bite Eret’s head off but refrained, simply nodding at the “praise”.

‘Follow me.’ Eret gestured at Dream and he obeyed. 

‘W-where are you taking me?’ 

Eret flashed him a warped version of a smile. 

‘While, to the Red King of course.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **The End.. for now.**
> 
> **Wow! This is the longest chapter yet :) Again, tell me about the length and what you like best.**
> 
> **A lot happened in this one today and guess who we’re gonna be seeing soon… :)**
> 
> **IMPORTANT: I’m gonna be making a suicidal Tommy one-shot soon and I want you guys to pick how it ends! :D I have two options either Hurt/Comfort (He survives) or Angst/Tragedy (He dies) Let me know how you feel in the comments!**
> 
> **See you next chapter!**
> 
> **Sincerely,**
> 
> **Catnip? No Way Man.**


	5. The Red King

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Dun dun dun! Chapter 5 is here and guess who we’re gonna meet? :D I know there’s some die-hard Techno fans out there so this chapter is for you :)**
> 
> **Yes, I know I’m a day late and I’m really really sowwy, please forgive me?  
> **

The small patrol made their way through the dead forest in silence. Eret had taken the lead, Dream trailing behind him and the pig hybrids took the back while Zelk stood to the side sniffing the air and looking around. 

He kept his head down trying to look as helpless as possible. Eret still didn’t trust his cover story and decided it would be better if he didn't push his luck. 

Dream also didn’t really pay attention to where they were going, he was already lost and trying to figure out where Eret was leading him would just cause confusion.

They didn’t walk as long as Dream assumed it would take, the path that Eret took was far quicker than the path to the white castle. 

The trees around them were still dead and the grass crunched under their feet. He managed to sneak a peek at Eret and noticed his shoulders were taught with tension. 

What did he have to be tense about? 

Dream couldn’t linger on it; the trees had thinned out to almost nothing and he looked up without hesitation only to have his breath taken away. 

In front of them, was a wide gorge completely open. No greenery could be seen and the few trees he saw were small and brittle. 

He decided to focus on the plants rather than address what was in front of him. He managed to ignore it for a while but as Eret led him to the bottom of the gorge down a rocky staircase he knew he needed to get a good look of the structure.

It was a huge brick castle that stuck out against the gorges’ walls; it wasn’t like the white castle in any way but instead Dream wanted to shrink away from the building and hide. 

It was uninviting in every way and he could’ve sworn there was a red tint to the bricks. Dream managed to swallow past the lump in his throat and continued behind Eret in a steady pace. 

The castle got higher and higher, the shadow of it covering all thoughts of the sun from them. He had to crane his neck just to see some of the windows. 

The way into the castle was by a large iron gate that was currently lowered; blocking the way. 

He’d be the first to admit he jumped when Eret barked some order out and the gate started screeching. 

The gate screeched the whole time it moved and Dream hurriedly went under it and barely remembered he should keep his head down. The next second found him with his head bowed low; avoiding eye contact at all cost. 

While he couldn’t make eye contact, Dream still felt eyes staring into his soul in every direction. He saw a lot of hooved feet in his peripheral vision and a couple of human ones as well; though they were rare. 

He kept his eyes low as Eret led the patrol through the lower town and he still bowed even as he was led up stone stairs. 

He managed to keep his shoulders shrugged in while the party separated and Eret was the only one left, leading him through the huge and scary castle all the way into the throne room. 

Upon entering, the chattering that took place in the room ceased and tense silence followed. His and Eret’s footsteps echoed throughout the hall until it stopped altogether. 

He looked up to see he was in front of a throne, Eret on his knee and bowing just ahead of him.

‘My lord.’ He stated in a sweet voice.

_He’s a bootlicker._

The thought made him want to break out in laughter even if it was very unconventional for the moment. 

‘What is this?’ It was a monotone voice and Dream felt drawn to see who it had come from. 

The throne was empty, only dark red velvet could be seen and he tried to look around for the voice until he saw the figure lurking in the shadows.

‘I found him while patrolling, sire.’ Eret had stopped bowing and now stood off to the side. 

His forest green eyes connected with blood red ones and the figure stepped out; walking with a head held high in confidence.

‘He was just wandering our lands?’ 

He was a tall human, except for the dark red eyes which was anything but normal. He had pink hair that was clearly dyed and a huge golden crown on his head. 

You could tell he was the king because of the royal clothing and cloak, lined in beautiful fur. 

If Dream felt bad about his appearance he certainly felt worse now; wearing his torn up and dirtied waistcoat. 

‘Who are you? Speak.’

Techno sat down with a growl on the throne, looking at Dream intently and he felt sweat drip down his back. 

‘H-hello. My name is Dream and I think I’m lost.’ 

‘Lost.’ He couldn’t tell if Techno believed him or not due to his monotone voice. 

‘Yes. I come from… M-man.. H-hunt-ious.’

‘Man Huntious? I’ve never heard of such a kingdom.’ Techno had leaned forward, pink hair swaying to his side as he raised his eyebrow in questioning. 

‘That's because it’s a distant land.’ He said it rushedly. ‘I was sent out to explore other kingdoms.’ 

‘And you got lost.’ 

He nodded and Techno studied Dream for a moment until he stood up. Techno walked up to Dream and stuck out a hand which he hastily took. They shook hands; Techno’s grip firm for a moment before letting go and standing back. 

‘Welcome, Dream of Man Huntious.’ 

He let out a quiet sigh of relief and bowed. ‘Thank you.’ 

‘Everyone!’ Techno growled and looked around. 

The hybrids and humans that stood around all bowed and said welcome in unison. ‘Welcome, Dream of Man Huntious.’ 

It was quite unnerving but he pushed on, smiling at them. 

‘You must be dirty and tired. Eret!’

The man was still standing off to the side quietly but startled when Techno bellowed his name.

‘Yes sire?’ 

‘Find Dream some clothes and get him a room!’   
Eret snuck a subtle glare his way and he pointedly ignored it. The knight turned back to Techno and nodded. ‘Right away, my lord!’ 

He hurried off and a smile made its way on Dream's face in a genuine way this time. 

‘After you get settled, come have dinner with me.’ Again, it wasn’t a question but Dream still nodded. 

‘Your hospitality is much appreciated.’

‘Yes well, I’d love to learn more about your distant kingdom. I love gaining as much knowledge as I can.’ 

The king smiled a sickly sweet smile and Dream saw right through it. Techno wanted to know secret things about this fake kingdom so he could dominate it. Atleast, that’s what Dream would do. 

It was another thing he’d have to worry about. How was he meant to make up an entire kingdom before dinner? 

_And I have to find my friends..._

Dream could only hope Phil didn’t have a time limit because this could take a while. 

‘I must attend to other things, goodbye Dream.’

‘Goodbye sire.’ He muttered back and watched as Techno left the throne room; a dozen nobles and hybrids following his footsteps.

In less than a minute after the king’s exit, the throne room was almost completely empty. The ones that were still in the hall were getting ready to leave quickly, heading for the door at a fast pace. 

As much as he wanted to leave the room as well, he knew he couldn't. Apparently, every castle was created to be confusing and he knew he’d lose his way in less than five seconds if he tried to navigate the castle by himself.

As much as he hated Eret, he needed him, so Dream decided to stand in front of the throne and wait albeit a little awkwardly. He picked at his hands for a couple of moments until Eret walked into the hall, barely contained disgust on his face.

‘Come on Dream of Man Huntious.’ The sentence was partially a snarl and he knew him and Eret wouldn’t be getting along during his stay here. 

‘Of course.’ He tried to keep his emotions in check but Eret was pissing him off. 

The man gave him a vicious smile before briskly walking out the room and through the castle, Dream barely keeping up. 

The red castle was like a maze as well, it seemed all castles shared this characteristic too. Again, Dream didn’t attempt to keep track of where Eret was leading him, there was no point since he’d become lost anyway. 

The walls of the castle were not bare but instead held depressing portraits, almost all of them shredded to pieces or flipped over so you couldn’t see it. 

He wondered if one of the flipped over pictures in the halls could be a portrait of Phil or Techno’s deceased parents. 

Ahead of him Eret stopped at a door that seemed like all the others, the knight held a key which he swiftly passed onto Dream. 

‘Here you are.’

‘Thank you again.’

Eret merely smiled his sickening smile before walking back down the hall, stopping after a couple of steps and turning around to face Dream again.

‘Oh, and don’t be late for supper. The king hates tardiness.’ It was said as an afterthought; Eret quickly turned back around and turned down another hall. 

_What would he do if I was late? Kill me?_

At first he smiled at the crazy thought but then thinking about everything Phil told him, he realized his death in this castle wasn’t as far fetched as he thought.

His throat bobbed and his hands shook for a second at the thought of his death. 

Would his family even know about it? 

Do they suspect he ran away because of the wedding?

_Snap out of it._

The dark oak door was pushed open and once again Dream found himself peeking inside an unfamiliar room. This room was slightly bigger than the white castles’ was and definitely darker.

The furniture was red and black, which seemed to be the nations’ colors. A similar king bed was situated in the middle of the room and instead of a wardrobe there was a dresser. 

He made his way over to it and opened the top desk easily. It was empty. He tried the second, third and fourth drawers but all of them were empty. 

Lastly, he checked the fifth drawer with success, inside was a pile of clothing. It was folded in a neat pile but Dream could still see the colors; red and black. 

While he didn’t mind wearing something of these colors he still preferred his favorite which was of course green. But not because of his eyes, he just appreciated the color in general. 

He picked up the pile and closed the drawer with his foot before sitting down at the foot of the bed. He picked up the top item and saw that it was a bottom up dark red shirt.

He quickly took off his dirty and torn waistcoat along with his undershirt. He managed to change into the new, clean clothing without trouble then walked to the bathroom door (every castle room seemed to have their own) and looked into the full length mirror situated in the room. 

His hair had become more tame and the light brown hair glowed in the bathroom’s light. 

He donned the red collared shirt and also wore a black bomber leather jacket. His pants were black jeans and he wore black boots to match along. He smiled in the mirror, happy to wear clothes other than dirty ones or pyjamas. 

He looked over the outfit once more before leaving the bathroom and inspecting the room again. It didn’t hold much except for a simple table and chairs, the dresser, a nightstand, the bed, and a counter. 

He made his way to the window to look around at what he could see, which wasn’t much. He faced the canyon and could see a couple of dead trees or shrubs but no animals were caught wandering around. 

He frowned but there was nothing he could do. Dream closed the red curtains once more and decided it was probably time he made his way back to the throne room. 

He assumed that’s where he would meet Techno since the king didn’t mention any dining room or other place to go.

Just like the white castle, after Dream closed his door and locked it he was stuck looking down the hall for someone. Of course, there was no one around that could help him so he took matters into his own hands and started walking around randomly. 

He went down multiple halls before luckily running into a maid. She was an older woman that hunched down and shuffled along slowly, white hair streaming down her back. 

He stopped her and she looked up at him with a nasty look which he was taken aback from. 

‘What do you want?’ 

‘H-hello, I was hoping you knew where the throne room was?’

She snorted and shook her head. 

‘Of course I know where the throne room is!’ 

He let out an awkward chuckle and held his hands in the air. ‘I didn’t mean to offend you, I just need help finding it!’

The woman let out an annoyed grunt and turned, walking down the hall at a slow pace. Dream stood there, wondering if he was supposed to follow her or not. 

When the woman noticed he wasn’t following she stopped and turned to give him another nasty look. ‘Are you coming or not.’ It was full of annoyance. 

‘O-of course.’ He didn’t want to say anything that would offend her further so he clamped his mouth shut and followed her as she slowly walked through the halls. 

While he appreciated her kindness the woman’s pace was slow. I’m certainly gonna be late now.

They turned down multiple halls until she led Dream to a single door. ‘Here we are. This is the servant’s entrance.’ 

He nodded. ‘Thank you.’

The woman didn’t say anything else as she walked back down the way she came, still in a slow pace as she shuffled her feet.

He lifted his hand and opened the door, he poked his head in as saw it was a little hallway. He went in and closed the door behind him, making his way down the hall. It turned to the right ahead of him and Dream followed. 

At the turn, the little passageway opened up into the throne room. He was just beside the throne and noticed it was empty but the room was not. 

It was packed full of nobles and hybrids and that all seemed to be talking. He easily slipped into the crowd near the front and got a good view of the throne.

The noble chatted away but while they did so, Dream noticed something he hadn’t earlier. How he missed it, he didn’t know but all the humans wore pig ears. 

They were obviously fake and most were attached by clips into the hair.

How had Dream missed this? 

Only the humans wore it and no one seemed to take notice of the fake ears. 

_It must have been something Techno told them to do._

He scrunched his nose at it, imagining big fake ears pulling at his hair while they stayed clipped there all day. He felt bad for the nobles. 

He stood there for a bit until one of the nobles had turned to him, the noble also wearing pig ears. 

‘You’re Dream from Man Huntious, yes?’

‘That’s correct.’ 

The man stuck out his hand and Dream took it, both shaking it firmly. ‘I’m Callahan.’ 

‘Hello, Callahan.’ 

The man smiled and Dream noticed he didn’t seem as arrogant or rude as the others. Maybe this was why he wasn’t afraid to ask him what was going on.

‘Why is everyone here?’ 

‘The king called us, said it’s important.’

Dream nodded. 

He wondered why Techno had gotten them all there.

As if thinking about him summoned him, Techno shoved open the double doors with a bang and everyone who stood around looked up, startled. 

There Techno was, huge crown and royal clothes with an anger filled face that seemed to turn more red than the carpet that led to the throne. Eret was slightly behind him, trailing the king like usual and he looked like he would murder anyone who crossed his path instead of the scared puppy he seemed to exhibit earlier. 

The small talk that had taken place before the king’s entrance had dissipated and Dream felt the air gain more tension by the second.

Callahan had stopped facing him and turned to the king, their conversation long forgotten. 

It was silent as everyone watched the king.

Suddenly, after walking in a few steps, Techno stopped and whirled to his left which was facing away from Dream and the others who were standing on the right. 

That’s when Dream noticed weird little squids wearing cute black tuxes holding trays standing there. Dream hadn’t noticed them until now and his heart melted at the sight, they looked so cute. Their little tentacles acting as feet and he was amazed they were able to breathe but realized he saw a disappearing cat yesterday, he shouldn’t be surprised. 

The squids only stood on the left, about 15 of them or so and they stood in a line at the edge of the red carpet that led to the throne. 

The squids turned to attention and Techno leaned down to look eye level with them.

The king’s back was turned to him and he wondered what the squids had done to make him so made. As if reading Dream’s mind, Techno spoke out to the nobles but did not turn away from the squids. 

‘Someone ate my snack-time potatoes…’ His voice was still loud and echoed around the hall. ‘Do you know anything about them, squids?’

The poor creatures stood their ground and didn’t say a word, all of them staring forward and not meeting anyone’s gazes. 

Techno sighed and grunted with annoyance and he looked at the first squid. ‘Did you eat my potatoes, squid?’ 

‘No sire.’ 

Techno huffed and shuffled down the line, addressing the second squid in the line. ‘Did you eat my potatoes, squid?’ 

‘No sire.’ The second squid replied and so did the third and fourth and fifth until Dream was sure none of the poor squids ate the king’s stupid snak-time potatoes. 

This continued until there was only one squid left at the end of the line and Dream let the tension leave his shoulders, happy that Techno wouldn’t hurt the poor things who probably didn’t do anything. 

His relief came too soon though as Techno asked the last squid the same question he asked the others. ‘Did you eat my potatoes, squid?’ 

‘N-no sire.’ The squid replied with a slight tremor and Dream wanted to scoop the little thing up and comfort him. 

‘Are you lying?’ Techno asked in the same monotone voice. 

‘No sire.’ 

Techno let out another huff and reached forward, the little squid flinching as Techno grabbed his face. Techno used his hand to slightly turn the squid's face until everyone in the court could see the little smudge of potato on its face.

Dream’s heart dropped as he realized what that meant and frowned as Techno stood back up and laughed, turning to face the whole court.

‘Lying to his king! Do you know what the punishment is for lying to your king, squid?’ 

The little squid shook his head slowly and looked down at his tentacles unsurely. He flinched violently as Techno shouted the answer.

‘Death! Guards!’

The squid looked back up with tears forming in its eyes and Dream watched in horror as he begged for his life, the pig hybrid guards that seemed to appear out of nowhere already grabbing him and pulling him away forcefully through the throne room.

‘Please! P-please! I have a family. My family! Someone! My name is Imasquidkid, tell my family I love them!’ 

The big doors banged closed as they dragged Imasquidkid away and Dream promised himself he’d tell the kids' family that he loved them before he left this nightmarish castle. 

He found himself disgusted with Techno and looked at him with a barely concealed glare. Techno was sitting on his throne like this was an everyday occurrence and Dream felt sick. How dare he do that to a poor soul who ate some stupid potatoes and got the sentence of death because of it. 

Beside him Callahan was quiet, along with the other nobles and pig hybrids as they waited for the king to talk once again. 

Techno waved a lazy hand, calm once again. ‘That’s all.’ 

They all rushed out of the room, Callahan doing the same but with a quick goodbye to Dream in which he repeated back to the noble.

He stayed where he was near the front and looked at the king. Did he still want to have lunch after this? 

Again, as if reading his mind Techno finally addressed him. 

‘Hello Dream.’ 

‘Te-Sire.’

The king stood up from his throne, Eret who stood at his right took a step forward; ready to follow his king. Techno held up a hand to the knight. 

‘Just me and Dream.’

Eret looked like he wanted to argue but clearly thought better of it. ‘As you wish, sire.’

Techno walked down the red carpet where squidkid was dragged away a moment ago. Dream followed behind him and watched as Eret slipped through the servant’s passageway quietly. 

This time, Dream did try to keep track of everything but he should give up trying, becoming lost after Techno turned down a couple of halls. The king stopped at another set of double doors and called out. 

‘Open!’

The doors obeyed and the king led Dream inside a large dining room, he looked back to see butlers had opened the doors; one on either side and staring ahead refusing to make eye contact. 

The red king took a seat at the head of the table and gestured for Dream to follow, which he did and sat down. 

‘I see you’ve found your room.’ He pointedly looked at the clothes Dream wore. 

‘I did, thank you again.’ 

Techno held up a hand and shook his head. ‘No need to thank me again.’

He wondered if Techno was trying to be a jerk but his monotone voice and red eyes made his words twisted and warped. He sounded snarky and rude, Dream tried not to be offended by it and focused on the words more, not the tone.

Techno then snapped his fingers and plates were set out in front of them. The plate was covered in mashed potatoes, turkey slices, cooked carrots, and gravy. It looked delicious and Dream was seconds away from digging in but was stopped by the king. 

His voice rang out. ‘Entertainment!’ 

He looked around for this “entertainment” and wondered what the king meant.

It was silent for a second until the double doors opened once again due to the butlers. 

Two figures walked in and Dream had to turn around in his chair to see who it was. 

His blood ran cold at the sight of the figures who walked with scowls on their face. 

Techno let out a chuckle and Dream turned to the king once again to see a wicked smile on his face. 

‘There you are! I’ve got a guest and we’d love to see some entertainment.’ 

He moved in his chair towards the figures and they both froze at seeing Dream. They stood a little ways away but it was easy to ready their faces. 

They were full of betrayal and confusion but Dream avoided their gaze and took a breath of oxygen. He willed his heart to calm. 

If Skeppy and Bad said anything then their plan would definitely fail. 

He just had to hope.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **The End.. for now.**
> 
> **:D How do you feel about red king Techno huh?**
> 
> **I’m curious to see who’s for Phil and who’s for Techno? Tell me below in the chat! Are you red or white?**
> 
> **Have a good day everyone and I’ll see you next Wednesday!**
> 
> **Sincerely,**
> 
> **Catnip? No Way Man.**


	6. Knave of Hearts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Another chapter :) I honestly am having so much fun writing this so I hope you really like reading it! :)**
> 
> **ALSO: Near the end of this there’s mention of saliva and stuff and kinda disgusting ngl, so if that triggers you don’t read that part, I have a trigger warning in here somewhere to tell you when disgusting stuff starts!**
> 
> **Also, I have important notes involving upcoming dates so make sure to read about it on the bottom!**
> 
> **Nothing else to say so enjoy!**

It was quiet for a second as the mouse and hare stared at Dream. Techno didn’t seem to notice and clapped his hands. 

‘Well! Come on!’

They both paused and finally Dream had enough nerve to look up at them. He hoped his eyes conveyed what he wanted to convey. 

Skeppy opened his mouth - ears twitching - ready to speak up until Bad took charge, stopping whatever he was about to say. 

‘Of course sire!’ 

Skeppy closed his mouth and looked at the little mouse questionably. All Bad did was offer a small shake of his head that Dream noticed (he hoped Techno didn’t) and suddenly both were dancing around. 

Techno started to chuckle and he thought it would be better if he made a sound as well. Dream forced out a little laugh that seemed way too fake but the king didn’t seem to notice how strained and forced it was. 

_Was Techno always this oblivious?_

Bad and Skeppy continued to dance around in a silly way while the king ate his food and laughed. Dream suddenly didn’t feel nearly as hungry as he felt a moment ago and took small nibbles of the food on the plate.

The small bites he took were delicious but one look at his dancing friends and guilt coursed through him. 

They had to act as jesters for a horrible king that seemed rude and self-centered. 

Skeppy continued to give him weird looks as the hare danced but Bad just avoided his gaze completing, looking at the ground most of the time. 

After a couple of more minutes of them dancing, Techno finally clapped his hands signalling them to stop. 

They stopped almost instantly whether it was because they were tired or embarrassed Dream didn’t know. 

‘Out.’

The pair both bowed and left the room quickly. Dream wanted to beg them not to go; he didn’t want to be in a room alone with the red king.

But his silent begging didn’t work and Techno even gestured for the butlers to leave. Soon he really was alone in the dining room with the king and his heart started beating a little faster. 

The sovereign leaned forward and folded his hands together on the table, looking at Dream like he was a piece of meat. 

‘Man Huntious. I’d love to know more about it.’ He intended to make the words sound innocent but Dream knew what he really meant. 

‘Man Huntious..’ Dream had all the time in the world to come up with something and yet he pushed it to the back of his mind. 

He truly had no idea what he was going to say about this imaginary kingdom. 

‘..is east.’

‘East?’

‘Yes, It’s east of here and there’s also a monarchy there. The prince is who sent me.’

‘Who’s the prince?’ 

‘The prince is.. Jordan.’ 

It wasn’t far from the truth, well Jordan wasn’t a prince in his world but he sure acted like he should belong to royalty. He grew up with Jordan and they were best friends, he was one of the reasons he wanted to get home. 

‘Prince Jordan. What’s the last name?’

He couldn’t use Jordan’s actual last name so he used the next thing that popped-up in his mind. Jordan’s nickname. 

‘Prince Jordan Sparkles.’

‘I’ve never heard of the Sparkles Dynasty.’ 

‘It’s a very far away kingdom.’

‘I see. The Red Kingdom is always looking for allies and I’d love to get in contact with your prince.’ 

‘What do you suggest?’ 

‘A letter. I’ll get you a carrier bird to send to them. They’ll trust you more than I.’

Dream wanted to object since he actually had nowhere to send the letter but nodded nonetheless. 

‘That sounds wonderful, your majesty.’

The king unfolded his hands and leaned back. ‘I’ll have a maid send up the supplies to your room.’ 

Dream nodded. 

The sovereign cleared his throat and stood, Dream doing the same. 

‘I have things I must attend.’ With that, Techno left Dream alone in the room. 

No maids or butlers came in and he realized Techno didn’t care where he went. That meant he could find everyone, he had a lot of explaining to do especially after Skeppy and Bad saw him sitting with their enemy. 

He left the room at a fast pace and chose a random hallway to start walking down. 

He fully expected that he would be lost but his frustration still grew after walking for a half an hour with no successful results. 

He didn’t have much to go by and prayed that he’d hear his friends in one of the rooms. It took another 15 minutes until Dream ran into something that was a little strange. 

It was an open set of stairs that seemed very steep and Dream decided to go for and went up them. They were spiral stairs that seemed to take forever as he continued to make his way up. 

By the time he made it to the top he was out of breath and exhausted. At the top of - what he assumed was a tower - there was a closed wooden door. Behind it he heard some talking and clanging that made him nervous to open it.

What could be behind the door or more importantly, who? 

He took a deep breath and lifted his slightly shaking hand to the handle. He turned it slowly and opened it, walking in and looking around the room. 

He was met with startled stares as he realized who he just ran into.

There was a startled laugh from the person standing in the room and suddenly Dream found himself hugging Sapnap as the crazed man continued to laugh airily.

‘Dream, I knew you’d come!’ His voice was full of happiness. 

‘Sapnap!’ Dream had his eyes closed during the hug and once they parted he finally got to look around. 

Standing next Skeppy and Bad was George who also seemed very enthusiastic. ‘George!’

George hopped towards him and he leaned down to hug George gently. ‘I’m so glad you guys are okay! I’ve been looking all over this castle for you!’

‘Are you sure about that.’ Skeppy said with hostility. 

‘Shush! Of course he’s sure!’ Bad quickly reprimanded the hare. 

After the hug Dream stood up and looked at the two apologetically. ‘About that-.’

‘No need to explain yourself.’ Sapnap interrupted him. 

‘Are you sure?’

‘Yes. Whatever you were doing it’s fine.’

Dream’s smile grew and the weight on his shoulders seemed to lessen. 

Sapnap walked farther into the room and gestured for Dream to follow. George, Skeppy, and Bad had all found seats at the random chairs situated everywhere, which caused Dream to look around.

The room was circular and he realized it must be in one of the towers. There were no windows and in the center of the room was a giant sewing machine. 

Different hats were situated on the mannequins that surrounded the machine and Dream wondered what was going on. 

Sapnap must’ve noticed Dream’s face and sat down in front of the sewing machine, giving Dream a frustrated look. 

‘He’s forcing me to make hats for the noblewoman.’

‘All these are for the noblewoman.’ 

‘Yes.’ George added. ‘He’s forced us into different positions.’

‘Me and Skeppy are jesters.’ The small mouse had a disgusted look, which Skeppy also showed.

‘I’m an announcer.’ 

‘An announcer?’ Dream didn’t know what George would have to announce. 

‘Yeah, whenever the king goes out I announce his presence. I also announce him at parties.’ George’s whiskers twitched as the rabbit frowned. 

‘Nevermind all that.’ Sapnap had stood once again. ‘What are you doing here?’

Dream’s scowl at hearing his friend’s having to work for the king morphed into a knowing look. ‘I’m here to help you escape.’

Everyone’s faces were of surprise and Sapnap made his way back to Dream, his hat tipping to the side as he cocked his head. 

He opened his mouth ready to ask what Dream meant but George beat him to it. ‘I’m not sure we know what you mean.’ 

Dream’s mouth formed an ‘O’ shape before he mentally slapped himself in the face. ‘Sorry, I should probably explain.’ 

‘That would be helpful.’ The small mouse said with a laugh. 

‘Well, Wilbur, Tommy, and Tubbo led me to the white castle.’ Everyone perked up at the mention of the white castle. 

‘I think there’s definitely a lot of explaining to do.’ Sapnap gestured for Dream to take a seat in one of the many chairs, which he happily obliged too. 

Walking up all those stairs was quite tiring and his feet were more than happy to have a break. All the others also took a seat and resumed their attention back to Dream. 

‘I met the king and together we came up with a plan.’ 

‘To save us.’ George mumbled and Dream nodded towards the white rabbit. 

‘To save you guys.’ 

‘What are you supposed to do?’ Skeppy had a face full of worry. ‘And how is this gonna work?’ 

Bad gave him a sympathetic glance and even Sapnap winked at the worried hare to reassure ihm. 

‘Whatever Dream and Phil have planned will probably be terrific.’ Dream didn’t know how Sapnap could sound so confident when worms of doubt still wiggled in his own stomach. 

‘I’m going to become friends with the red king and gain information. From there I’ll find out a way to get you guys out and Zelk will then report it to Phil. After that, we just come up with a time and day to escape.’ 

‘Sounds so easy.’ Jealousy could be hinted in George’s tone and Dream understood it. 

It sounded easy when saying it but it would definitely be hard to do, especially with Techno as the one they’re trying to escape. 

Sapnap clapped his hands together and stood up, pushing some of his messy black hair out of his face. ‘Well, if you’re to befriend this king you mustn’t look too suspicious. Meet back up here tomorrow morning, hopefully Tubbo and Tommy can make it as well.’ 

‘I haven’t seen them at all.’ It made Dream curious and scared, surely he would have seen them by now? 

‘The king keeps them under lock and key in the castle.’ Bad offered helpfully. 

Disappointment coursed through his veins and not being able to see the two boys. ‘You’re sure they’ll be able to make it here tomorrow, then?’ 

‘We can only hope.’ The white rabbit face was solemn. 

All Dream could do was nod and decided it was a good time to stand up and start heading back to his room. Sapnap had the same idea and they exchanged quick goodbyes. 

‘I’ll see you tomorrow Mad Hatter and White Rabbit.’ A sad smile was playing at his lips, he only had 20 minutes with them and he already had to leave. 

‘We’ll see you tomorrow.’ George gave Dream the last reassure he needed, turning around and making his way back down the stairs as quickly and quietly as he could.

The last thing he needed was someone to find him coming from Sapnap’s room. The time had gone by quickly today with the sun casting long shadows on the red kingdom already.

He figured he must’ve gotten used to the time, it felt like a normal 24 hours had passed. 

Going down the many sets of stairs was a lot easier than going up and Dream found himself at the bottom of them in no time. 

He made sure there was no one around before he walked fully out into the hallway and tried to appear confident. 

He managed to turn down a couple of halls before trouble found him and suddenly Dream was pinned against one of the castles’ walls. 

Eret had shoved him in the wall and boxed him in against a table, a cruel smile on his face. 

‘Hello there, Dream.’

‘Hello _Eret._ ’ He mustered up all the hatred he could to put into the name. 

The smile dropped and all it left was an anger filled face. ‘You know, you’ve caused a lot of trouble.’

‘Trouble?’ Dream couldn’t contain the laughter that burst out of him. 

Eret’s eyes seemed to darker at the sound. 

‘Techno seems very fond of you.’ It was a sentence full of venom and he suddenly knew what this was about. 

‘Are you jealous?’ He easily taunted the knight. 

A growl was his response and before he knew what was happening, his head was hitting the wall behind him with a loud smack. 

Eret unclamped his hand, no longer forming a fist and dropping the arm to the side. 

He recovered from the blow and looked at the knight once again. The urge to hold his bloody nose strong but he resisted. ‘If you keep going down this path..’ The night leaned in, a centimeter from Dream’s ear. ‘Your going to get a lot worse than a blood nose and sore head.’

With that, Eret stood back and walked down the hall nonchalantly, leaving Dream to tend to his injuries. 

Instead of pain, anger flooded his system at the knight’s reaction. How dare he punch him just because the asshole was jealous! 

_It’s not my fault Techno likes me better than you._

He lifted a hand to his nose, trying to stem the bleeding. His nose was bleeding quite a lot and he wouldn’t be surprised if it was broken. 

But anger continued to seep through his veins and for a second he considered going to someone, but thought better of it.

Instead, Dream decided it would be better if he walked off his anger before it got him in trouble. All the while he continued to try and stem the blood coming from his nose. 

He hoped there was a courtyard somewhere because he was fuming and fresh air would probably do him good. 

Not going to get his nose checked would probably have consequences in the future but all he could think about was the past. 

Eret punching him replaying in his head over and over again, taunting him.

The halls blurred past him as he held his now-swelling nose, looking for some sort of way to the outside world. Along with his nose, he’d probably have a black and blue face to top it all off, something he wouldn’t be able to hide. 

A stroke of luck fell upon Dream as he looked out a window and noticed a courtyard, from there it wasn’t hard to find a door that led to the outside. 

It wasn’t locked and he took a breath of dead air once outside, his anger already dulling. 

The courtyard itself was desolate and in the center of it was a podium that held a wood block. He could easily guess what it was for and some anger was replaced with new horror at the king’s courtyard. Techno seemed to be getting worse and worse the more he discovered. 

Shuffling his way past it, Dream walked farther into the courtyard, there was some grass at the edges but it was mostly cement, something drastically different from Phil’s which was almost all greenery. Techno’s was gray. 

After venturing around for a while, he cooled off with time. His face was stinging now after the adrenaline caused by anger wore off. 

He mostly looked at the right side and after seeing everything there was to see there, he turned around ready to explore the left. 

Dream paused mid-step and looked on with a little fright. In the walls of the castle that surrounded the courtyard there was an iron barred door. 

He couldn’t see anything from where he was, the inside of the little area covered in black shadows that spread shivers across his spine. 

Taking tentative steps over there, a sense of foreboding overwhelmed him until he almost gave up and retreated but his curiosity stayed strong. 

He only stopped when he was a few paces in front of the door. He tried to listen and see if he heard anything but silence was his only reply. 

A deep breath was taken and he pointedly ignored the voice in the back of his head that said _run,_ he managed to walk a few more steps forward. 

Dream was directly in front of the bar now and crouched down, all pain in his face forgotten as he peered in trying to distinguish something in the darkness. 

There was nothing and after trying for a few minutes to search for anything, Dream gave up and got up from his crouching position. 

He turned around and glumly started walking away, as much as Dream was relieved something wasn’t there he was also slightly disappointed. 

His back was turned and he continued to walk away until Dream stopped. 

At first, he wasn’t sure if it was just hope that was making him imagine things but the second time he heard it, Dream turned around instantly. 

There was a rustling sound coming from the inside there, he was sure of it. In a rush, Dream went back and looked around once again. The rustling had stopped but Dream was so sure he had heard something. 

Disappointment settled into his stomach like a stone once again, angry at his mind for playing tricks on him so cruelly. 

That was until Dream’s heart stopped and his whole body froze, everything in him telling Dream to run. 

Two purple eyes were staring at him, not in a malicious way but more out of curiosity. The eyes held intelligence that any human could hold and suddenly, the eyes turned into a shape. 

A large shape that seemed spread out and the distinctive shape of wings appeared on both sides of the purple-eyes creature. 

Instinct told him to run but he held his feet to the ground, refusing to listen to instinct. 

The winged creature didn’t make a sound, just stared silently at him. It was another split-second decision that Dream didn’t fully agree with but his limbs were already doing it. 

He knelt down, found a rock and a second later he was pounding into the big lock that kept the iron barred door closed. He smashed it repeatedly until it finally snapped off and fell with a clang. 

A second later, Dream dropped the lock and curried back as the eyes got closer to the door. 

In a fluid motion, the door was pushed open and the creature stepped out. 

He gulped in shock and awe but also fear, lots and lots of fear.

_Wonderland doesn’t cease to amaze me..._

A black-purplish dragon stood before him, slightly taller than he. It’s wings spread out to full glory and the majestic animal was content to just stretch. 

At first he feared the animal would go berserk but that proved to be wrong, it seemed peaceful. 

After stretching, the creature noticed Dream once again and he tried his hardest not to flinch as it sniffed him. 

With the height and length it was, Dream guessed it was a baby, after all weren’t dragons supposed to be huge creatures? 

The dragon stopped sniffing him and it’s scaled tail wagged back and forth like a dog. It stared at him and he stared back before gaining confidence. 

‘Hello there.’ He kept his voice low and as non-threatening as he could. 

It titled it’s head and nodded back in greeting. 

_It understands me?!_

‘I-I can’t keep you out here forever, unless you want to try to run away.’

It nodded once again in understanding. 

‘Okay.. blink once for no, twice for yes. Do you understand?’

Two blinks. 

‘Do you want to try and escape?’

One blink. 

Now Dream was just confused. ‘Are you waiting for something?’

Two blinks. 

_What would it wait for?_

‘Do you have a name?’ 

Two blinks. Then it used its tail and gestured to it’s glowing purple eyes. 

‘Eyes?’

One blink.

‘Purple?’

Two blinks. 

‘Your name is Purple?’

One blink. 

_What?_

Then it used its tail to gesture at the scales that covered it. They were blackish-purple and it looked as if they were slowly turning more purple from the top down. 

‘Purpling?’ 

One blink.

‘Purples?’

One blink.

‘Am I close?’ 

Two blinks. 

‘Uhh. I don’t know. Uhm.. purp- purp..led. Purpled!’

Two blinks. 

‘Well, hello there Purpled.’

**(Possibly Triggering Stuff Starting!)**

Purpled seemed to smile with his eyes, they were full of warmth and welcome. Suddenly, Purpled leaned forward until Dream’s nose was almost touching the two dragon’s nostrils.

Puffs of air from Purpled slightly moved Dream’s air. He wanted to back up but stood his ground, wondering what Purpled was up too. 

Then the dragon slightly lunged forward, tongue stuck out and Dream found himself being licked in the face by a baby dragon’s tongue. 

He almost gagged and jumped back but it was too late, saliva hung on his face disgustingly. 

Purpled had also jumped back and looked expectantly at him, saliva still dripping from his mouth. 

Dream gagged again and quickly tried to wipe away any traces of the stuff on his face. While doing so, he flinched when he touched his check and nose, expecting it to hurt. Instead of pain, he was meant with nothing but slight numbness. 

He poked his face again and realized it didn’t hurt at all. 

_How?_

He looked up and could’ve sworn the dragon looked almost smug. The saliva must’ve healed him because he also realized there was no blood either. 

**(End of Possibly Triggering Stuff!)**

‘T-Thank you Purpled.’ 

The dragon only nodded in return. 

A thought popped up in Dream’s mind then. ‘Purpled… in a couple of days me and my friends are going to leave this place. I know you're waiting for something but is it going to take longer than a couple of days?’ 

Purpled didn’t say anything, only tilted his head, a silent sign signaling for Dream to continue talking. 

‘Would you like to come with us?’ The dragon blinked twice then nodded afterwards. 

A smile broke out onto the man's face as he stood in front of the baby dragon. As he admired the blackish-purple scales it had, Dream finally noticed the time. 

Shadows had finally claimed everything in the courtyard, the sun was already down and Dream realized he missed the sun-set. It was getting darker by the moment and he also remembered the letter he still had to finish by tomorrow. 

‘Purpled, I have to go...’ The dragon seemed to understand and turned around, slowly making its way back into the little room. 

He felt bad for Purpled, it was dark and cramped in there but he couldn’t do anything else, at least not yet. In a couple days time he was going to free this baby dragon. 

The list of things he wanted to do in this place before he left seemed to get longer and longer as time wore on. Squidkid’s family was at the top of this list. 

He closed the iron door after the dragon was finally settled and took a moment to look it in the eyes with as much sincerity as he could muster. 

‘I’ll come back tomorrow.’ 

The dragon blinked twice, a confirmation that he understood and trusted Dream fully.

With his goodbye to Purpled done, Dream placed the broken lock back on and hoped no one would expect it anytime soon. He had no idea when Purpled was fed and by whom. 

He turned around and rushed back through the courtyard and into the castle. 

Now that he had discovered Purpled, their plans of escape were going to change drastically. 

He lifted a hand to his face again with awe and gratefulness. It didn’t hurt anymore at all and he wondered if the dried blood had also fled. 

With a dragon on their side, Dream was confident they would all make it out safely without problem. 

A large smile broke out onto his lips as he continued down the hall. 

Now, the last thing he needed to do was make that letter so he could have a goodnight’s rest. 

How hard could making a letter be?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **The End… for now :D**
> 
> **Another chapter done!**
> 
> **This was supposed to be a 7 chapter fic but I keep writing more and more :)**
> 
> **Also, How do you guys like Purpled the dragon because I thought he fit it perfectly. Also do you guys know what the dragon is replacing, or what creature is supposed to be there instead of him? (Just a fun little question :D)**
> 
> **REGARDING UPCOMING DATES: I will NOT be posting ANYTHING until the 6th of January. I’m taking a break for the holidays. I am posting one more fic today, most likely right after I post this one that will talk about schedule and New Year’s and Christmas and things. This isn’t “i want you to read it” kind of thing, just for those who want to know more of my schedule :D Have a good one!**
> 
> **Sincerely,**
> 
> **Catnip? No Way Man.**


	7. Mad Hatter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Well, Chapter 7 already… I just keep making this story longer and longer.**
> 
> **I should be able to keep on track and not have to add an extra chapter, I hope :L**
> 
> **Also, I've gotten a Tumblr account for Ao3! More info at end notes**

Dream definitely didn’t consider himself a master at writing but for god’s sake he thought he was better than this. 

He crumpled up his half-finished letter, carelessly throwing it behind him as he started a new one. He was sitting in front of a black and red vanity in his room, a growing pile of crumpled up papers behind him.

He’d been here for at least an hour but he just couldn’t find the right words for the letter. His frustration was mounting and in desperation he started scribbling sloppy sentences on the new paper. 

He was tired and just wanted to go to bed, not stay up all night working on a letter that the red king may or may not read. 

The words flowed onto the paper and Dream no longer cared about how good or bad it sounded. The ink finally reached the bottom of the page and Dream stood up, folding it as neatly as he could before picking up the mess he had made.

It wasn’t too bad to clean up, just a lot of papers everywhere that were in a semi sort of pile. After clearing up the floor, he took a moment to properly stretch, exhaustion making him slow and sluggish. 

There was a lot to do tomorrow and Dream didn’t know if he was going to survive it or not, especially if he was this exhausted after today. 

Not caring about whether he was in sleep clothes or not, Dream took off his shirt and flopped onto the bed, not worrying about getting under the covers either.

Before he closed his eyes, Dream decided to take a moment to inspect himself, wondering if he’d gotten hurt during this adventure. He’d like to think he was in well enough shape and this proved true; the faintest outline of abs was forming on his stomach.

This whole ordeal had actually forced him to become more active, his leg muscles flexing instinctively at the thought of all the walking he had done so far. There weren’t really any major injuries, just a scrap or two that didn’t affect him all that much. 

Taking a breath, Dream closed his eyes and let sleep envelope him, no longer caring about how in shape or out of shape his body was; sleep was the only thing that mattered right now. 

_Knock._

_Knock knock KNOCK._

A frustrated groan escaped him as he sat up, holding his head in his hands and trying in futile attempt to plug his ears from the horrible sound of banging. 

The sound continued and his still half-asleep mind helpfully supplied that someone was knocking on his door. 

He really didn’t want to get up, it felt like he had only fallen asleep moments ago; not hours. Of course, he knew he had a good night’s rest if the sun shining through the curtains had any say. 

With another groan, Dream swung his legs over the bed and quickly put on the shirt he’d thrown to the ground last night. He shuffled over to the door, which was still being banged on with unrelenting force. 

He opened it and looked up, unhappy at whoever was bothering him while he was sleeping. 

In front of him stood a butler with his nose stuck in the air, from a mile away you could tell he was stuck up and Dream didn’t want to affiliate with him longer than necessary. 

‘Hello?’ His voice was rough with sleep. 

‘The king invites you to breakfast, sir.’ Dream knew that meant Techno wanted him at breakfast, the king doesn’t ask, he demands. 

‘I’ll be there.’ He tried to shut the door but the butler stuck his foot out. 

‘One last thing sir.’

‘What!’ It was snapped out and he regretted losing his temper when he saw the slightly hurt look the butler tried unsuccessfully to hide. 

‘The king requests you bring the letter.’ The man turned, hurrying away but Dream managed to put in the last word. 

‘Thank you!’ He had no idea if the man heard, since the butler kept walking down the hall at a brisk pace. 

He still felt slightly guilty about snapping at him but acknowledged there was nothing he could do about it. 

He shut the door and walked over to the wardrobe in hopes of finding something suitable to wear. He didn’t remember if there were other clothes in there or not so he crossed his fingers and opened the doors to the wardrobe. 

Luck seemed to be on his side, two different outfits were in there; both looking expensive and royal. Just looking at the clothing made him feel posh and he wondered how he’d feel wearing it. 

Without delaying, he took one of the outfits at random and quickly changed. It was a nice fit and Dream definitely felt different in it, an air of importance felt like it was floating around him and he unconsciously lifted his chin slightly higher. 

He was caught up in the feeling, thinking about how luxurious this life truly was. He had a huge room to himself, expensive clothing, delicious food, butlers and maids, maybe this life wouldn't be so-.

_What are you thinking?! Is this all it takes to get me on someone’s side?_

Disgust filled him as he stopped the train of thought he had, guilt also stirring up inside his gut as he thought about all the horrible things Techno had done. SquidKid being one of the first things, his face of horror and fear as he was dragged away. That image would be stuck with him until his dying days. 

Shaking his head, a frown became plastered on his face as he finished his outfit by putting on some black boots. He wore a red button up, sleeves folded to his elbows and black dress pants. 

He still wasn’t used to wearing so much red and black, he often wore every color of the rainbow; all colors looking relatively good on him. 

His younger sister was always jealous about his appearance, she often complained she could only wear certain colors while Dream pulled them all off. He missed her so much, she was another reason why he wanted to get home so badly. 

Blinking his eyes, Dream’s mind focused back on the present and after making sure he grabbed the letter, Dream went out the door and started walking through the halls. Surprisingly, Dream had a semi-decent idea of where to go; lady luck seemed to like him today because Dream ended up standing in front of the double doors that marked the dining hall in less than 15 minutes. 

He re-looked over himself then went to open the door, startling back when they opened on their own; revealing Techno at the head of the table. 

Eret stood just behind him, both quietly talking to each other in hushed voices even though no one but Dream and the butlers were there. The red king nodded in greeting while Eret sent a discreet glare, anger built in Dream until he managed to calm it back down. 

The table was huge, finding a seat wasn’t a problem but Dream knew the king would want him sitting next to him so with lead feet he walked over and sat down, just a seat was from Techno. 

Techno wore his huge red crown, red cape billowing around the seat and wearing a red tunic with pieces of armor. Dream fumbled with his fingers, not knowing what to do and settling on taking a peek at Techno’s clothing, not getting the proper chance to before. 

Maybe he should’ve felt horror when Dream noticed that some of the pieces of armor the king wore were made of bones but he really wasn’t; Dream wouldn’t be surprised if the king had a finger necklace like a serial killer. 

For some odd reason, the first thing that popped into his head when thinking about serial killers was a new book that had been released only a month ago. It was a good book and Dream loved reading it, he always loved Robert Bloch’s things but the idea of a motel being used for such vial things was new-aged. 

Techno kinda reminded him of the main character in a small way, their cruelty being very similar. 

His thoughts were interrupted when a plate was set in front of him by a maid, Dream belatedly realized he was bluntly staring at the king but no one seemed to notice. 

The plate was full of generic breakfast items that you would eat in the morning and Dream amusedly wondered if all castles were the same; serving amazing food. 

He started to eat, noticing that Techno was also shoveling things into his mouth as Eret continued to talk in a quiet voice. Suddenly, Techno raised his hand and lazily waved Eret off; who seemed annoyed by the fact but held his face neutrally, Dream of course saw through it. 

Eret was fuming at being waved off but did as requested, offering a little bow and making his way out of the room. 

Dream was once again stuck in a room with the red king, alone. 

They ate in silence until both plates were empty, bellies full and satisfied. The king leaned forward and offered Dream a smile that did nothing but send chills up his spine. 

‘You’ve made the letter?’ 

Dream could only nod, not sure what to say. 

‘I’ll read it then you can send it.’ 

Again, he nodded in response and took out the letter he had kept in his back pocket, handing it to Techno. 

The king was careful when he handled it, not ripping or tearing anything and keeping a monotone face as he read it. Dream was a little nervous, he hadn’t double checked it last night and wondered how bad it was. 

He didn’t have to wait long, Techno set the letter down and looked at Dream with the same monotone look. 

His body tensed and cringed, expecting the king to be mad at how bad it was but was pleasantly surprised when the king only nodded. ‘How long will it take to get there?’ 

Different dates popped up in his mind, he couldn’t make it too short or too long, he needed to pick a perfect number in between.

‘4 days.’ Instead of the answer being calm and controlled, Dream ended up blurting it out. He couldn’t help but blush at his trigger mouth, but once again the king either ignored it or was oblivious. 

Dream was really starting to think the king feigned innocence, pretending not to see what’s going on around him. It was a good tactic and Dream reminded himself he’d have to be extra careful around Techno. 

Even more than he was now. 

Techno nodded and they sat in silence once more, the king beginning to have a faraway look that was nowhere near here. He sat there awkwardly, not knowing if he should leave Techno to his thoughts or stay until he was told to leave. 

His question was answered when the sovereign blinked, then turned and looked at Dream like he didn’t know he was there until now. Techno waved a hand, it looked like he was swatting some invisible fly. ‘Off you go.’ 

He didn’t need to be told twice; Dream practically launched up from the chair and said a rushed goodbye before getting out of the room. He really hated being stuck alone with Techno, his nerves were going crazy. 

_If I’m this scared of him now how will I ever be able to fight him?_

His nervousness reared up once again, he took deep calming breaths; effectively slowing his heart and stopping the racing thoughts that sped through his mind. 

He had many other things to do today, having a panic attack was not one of these things. 

After collecting himself, he decided it would be better if he checked on Purpled first and then started planning things with the others. Since finding the dining hall so easily, Dream was starting to gain a little confidence when it came to navigation around the castle.

_Time to go make sure a dragon is okay._

Should it worry him that he didn’t question anything anymore? Any other normal person would be freaking out but Dream had an odd feeling of nostalgia, it left him very concerned but also in awe.

He managed to find the courtyard without any troubles and the sun shone brightly as it moved its way across the sky. While the sun gave Dream warmth; the courtyard seemed to suck it right back out of him. 

Yesterday it had been dark and Dream was so upset he only spared a glance around before huffing off towards where Purpled was caged. Now, he was able to see the lifelessness of the courtyard clearly, his skin prickled as the feeling of uneasiness washed over him. 

The worst part was the center, where you could clearly see what happened there; the dried blood stains the only spark of color in the area. He averted his eyes and stared at his feet as he walked by, eager to see Purpled and then meet his friends in the tower. 

When he reached the metal barred door, Dream could clearly tell that the lock wasn’t actually locked and he only prayed that no one would notice it in the next fews days. 

At the sound of his footsteps, purple eyes looked at him brightly, emotions swirled within them and Dream instantly recognized the park of happiness there. He couldn’t help but smile and opened the cage, let the winged creature free. 

Purpled slowly got out and once the dragon did, it stretched its wings out; reminding him of himself this morning when he woke up. He felt an unusual closeness to Purpled like they used to be old friends and were becoming familiar with each other again. 

Of course this notion was ridiculous, Dream wouldn’t forget meeting a dragon!

After stretching, Purpled gave all of it’s attention to Dream who easily started up conversation. 

‘Have you eaten?’ 

Two blinks. 

‘Did anyone find out about the lock?’ 

One blink.

A breath of air he didn’t realize he was holding escaped his mouth as the stress of being found out eased a little.

They continued to chat for a while, the sun being the only thing that reminded them about how much time passed. Just before the sun reached its peak, Dream said his farewells to Purpled. The dragon pulled as much of a pouting face as a dragon could before willingly going back into the little cage. 

Dream still felt horrible for making Purpled be in there but he knew there was no other way. After talking (mostly Dream asking questions while Purples blinked) with the dragon for a little while he was starting to feel a connection to the creature. It was a deep connection of friendship that he hadn’t ever felt with some of his long-time friends back at home, he wondered why he was feeling these things with a dragon but like always didn’t question it anymore.

Once finishing up with Purpled he went back through the courtyard and into the castle, intending to see his friends. He hoped Tommy and Tubbo would be able to make it, he wanted to see if they were alright. 

It was funny that after only spending a couple of days here he was growing strong connections with those who lived in Wonderland. At home, Dream mostly kept to himself and because of that he typically only had a few friends and a lot of acquaintances. 

Sapnap, George, Phil, and everyone else didn’t feel like just an acquaintance, they felt like more. 

_Who knew I’d end up making close friends here?_

It was another piece of the puzzle that Dream didn’t understand, another thing that seemed to make his head spin when he tried to think about Wonderland logically. He needed to stop doing that. 

Wonderland was anything but logic. 

The castle halls blurred passed him, he only stopped when he was standing in front of the door that led to the Mad Hatter’s room. His legs already started to cramp up just thinking about going up all those stairs but Dream pushed through, taking two at a time as he slowly made it to the top of the tower. 

When he finally reached the top, out of breath and sweat forming on his skin, the door was closed but voices could be heard inside the room. 

He didn’t hesitate to open, smile already forming from just the thought of talking to them. It fully developed when he saw Tubbo and Tommy were also there along with everyone else, even Zelk.

Everyone flew across the room, greeting Dream and sharing smiles and hugs. Tommy and Tubbo had only talked to him on their trip to the white castle but they gave him a quick hug like they were old friends reuniting after years. It felt like it; like he hadn’t seen the two boys in years when in reality it had only been two days.

Once everyone shared their greetings Sapnap directed them all to sit down. There were easily enough seats and soon everyone was in a chair; the chairs positioned to form a circle. 

Tommy took out any chairs that were unused and pushed them out of the way but left one empty chair which Dream looked at curiously. 

Sapnap seemed to notice Dream confusion and offered a mischievous smile. ‘If Wilbur decides to join us later.’

It made sense and Dream nodded wondering if Wilbur would join them, he hadn’t heard anything about the cat lately and hoped he was okay.

‘So we heard there’s a plan.’ Tommy was the first to speak up.

‘Yes, I believe Dream knows what to do.’ Bad made it sound like a fact when in reality Dream had no idea what he was doing. 

All faces, animal and human alike turned to look at him; all searching for answers which Dream didn’t have. 

‘Well… Uhh…’

He secretly wished someone would speak up to get him out of this mess but everyone stayed silent, waiting. 

He took a breath, collected his thoughts and in the back of his mind a plan started to form. It was by no means a good plan but it was the only one he had. 

‘Yeah.. Yeah.. I have a plan.’ He had leaned over in thought, looking at the ground with his head bowed. 

Suddenly he lifted it, bright green eyes sparking with different ideas for the plan. He looked around, meeting the gazes of everyone as they waited with baited breath. 

‘We fight.’ It was so simple. 

Silence. There was no sound until laughing started echoing off the walls. Skeppy and George were in fits, both rabbits laughing their heads off like Dream had just told them the funniest joke in the world.

He felt they were being a little unfair, it was like some new form of criticism and it hurt as they continued to laugh. 

The laughing ceased as fast as it came when Sapnap shut it down with two words. ‘He’s serious.’ 

Sapnap’s face was full of disbelief and madness as an insane smile formed on his lips, black hair making his face all the more sinister as it framed his head.

Both Skeppy and George stared at Sapnap then turned to Dream. ‘Y-you’re serious?’ George’s voice was a squeak. 

He still felt hurt at their reactions but nodded. ‘Yes. I’m serious. We fight.’ 

‘It could work.’ Dream forgot Tubbo was even there but decided he was glad the boy was, especially if Tubbo was going to take his side. 

‘I agree with Tubbo. It could work.’ The boy beside Tubbo nodded, face full of concentration and thought. 

‘How?’ A little mouse made himself known. 

‘It’s simply about timing, isn’t it Dream?’ Sapnap still had a face of pure madness, Dream couldn’t help but be intrigued by this new Sapnap. 

Yes, he was off his rocker before but now the Mad Hatter seemed to be on a different level. How far was Sapnap willing to go?

‘You guessed it. All we need to do is find the perfect time where there aren’t so many guards, then we fight the ones left and leave. It’ll be easy, especially with our new ally..’ 

‘New ally?’ Half of the group asked in sinc as if they all read each other's minds. 

‘I accidentally found them and they’re very willing to help.’ Unbeknownst to him, Dream also wore a half-insane smile. 

‘Who?’ Tubbo asked. 

‘Or what?’ Bad added. 

‘A dragon.’ He let out a little laugh, expecting everyone to be surprised but was sadly disappointed when all they did was nod, no looks of disbelief to be found on anyone’s faces. ‘You’re not surprised?’ 

‘That there’s a dragon?’ The insane man laughed, hat slightly tilting to the side as his body shook. ‘No, we all knew the king had managed to get his hands on it, we just didn’t know what happened to it.’ 

‘And knowing you Dream, it’s no surprise you’d befriend it.’ Dream felt his cheeks blush at George’s compliment. 

He was about to say more when suddenly Zelk jumped off the chair, ears perked. He had been quiet this whole time but now he silently growled at everyone. 

‘Everyone quiet!’ 

Silence immediately followed as the hound gave the door a viscous look, confused looks also pointed at the door by everyone else.

‘People are coming.’ Zelk sounded confident and his stance shifted, turning into a defensive position.

‘You’re sure?’ It wasn’t a question, Sapnap already seemed to know the answer by the way he stood up preparing for action. 

Zelk didn’t need to say anything, the footsteps were becoming loud enough that everyone could hear them. 

Dream could only blink before he was being tugged along by Tommy and Tubbo. They each grabbed a hand and pulled him along as shock and fear ran through his system, burning his veins like lava. 

‘Hide!’ Sapnap hissed as the others moved the chairs and took up casual spots. 

Before he knew what was going on Dream was practically shoved into a wardrobe. He knew what they wanted and didn’t argue when Tubbo slammed the door closed. He could barely see out of the crack in the middle, getting a quick glance of Tommy and Tubbo lunging under the bed. 

Zelk joined them a second later, able to fit under it easily without them sticking out or being able to easily be seen. 

Dream couldn’t make out where the others were, figuring they must’ve sat down and started acting like everything was normal.

The door opened and he could make out multiple steps, signalling there were quite a few people. 

‘Sapnap.’ 

‘Eret.’ 

His stomach boiled when he realized who it was. All he wanted was to go out there and punch that ass in the face but knew better, he managed to silently listen and not bust out ruining everything.

‘Techno requests that you bring the hats down, the ladies are ready for them.’ 

‘Of course.’ 

‘And he wouldn’t mind a little entertainment.’ Eret’s voice was a mocking sneer. 

Dream knew who that was directed too and felt horrible for Bad and Skeppy, embarrassing themselves while others laughed at them. 

‘And George, I expect you to be there soon. We wouldn’t want our majesty to not be announced correctly.’ 

‘I’ll be right down, sir.’ George’s voice was soft but he could detect the hostility behind it. 

‘Well then.’ 

He couldn’t see Eret or what he assumed was hybrids that came up with him but knew they had left when the door shut. He let out a breath and slowly pushed open the door while he peaked around. 

A very stressed group of animals was what he saw, they all had varying looks of upsetness and all he wanted to do was reassure them everything would be okay. He knew he couldn’t, at least not yet. 

Sapnap was by his mannequins, taking off the hats and setting them down near each other. Zelk, Tommy, and Tubbo had gotten out from under the bed with solemn faces.

Sapnap broke the silence and some of the tension. ‘Well, I guess we’ll get to see how these hats _really_ look.’ 

A smile couldn’t help but form on Dream’s face. 

‘We should probably go.’ Tubbo gestured to the ones that hid. ‘If Eret went to you that means he’ll be looking for us.’ 

At first he was reluctant but knew what Tubbo said made sense. Still stressed and slightly upset they all bid quick farewells, Dream was the last to leave; delaying his stay a little longer as he helped Sapnap sort hats. 

‘Go.’ It wasn’t mean or hostile, just a quiet word that Sapnap uttered to him as they sorted hats. 

He sighed but nodded and quickly left after saying goodbye to the others, George was especially hard to say goodbye to. It wasn’t like they weren’t going to see each other soon but for some reason a feeling of foreboding swirled in his stomach.

It was a lot easier to go down the steps and Dream felt like he blinked and suddenly he was walking in the halls. 

He remembered the way to the throne room and took a breath, squared his shoulders, and set his jaw. 

He had no idea what was going to happen in that throne room but Dream was sure that whatever it was; he’d be able to deal with it. 

Wonderland has amazed and startled him but after being here and adjusting to this crazy world, one thing was for sure; he was not going to let Wonderland get the best of him anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **The End.. for now.**
> 
> **Just something that I’ve been thinking about.. I know it would’ve made sense that George would be the Mad Hatter but I feel like Sapnap doesn’t get enough love.**
> 
> **I really wanted to see a story where it was Sapnap and Dream, rather than Dream and George.**
> 
> **Also! I hinted at what year they’re in, can you guess it? *Hint: It’s before 2000* It’s not really a huge impact thing and honestly I’ll probably put in stuff that was made after the time but I just like the year so yeah.. I’ll stop talking now.**
> 
> **_Now regarding the Tumblr account! Basically, I've created an account for this Ao3 account. Why does this account matter? Basically, I'll be posting sneak peeks for stories, accepting prompts, possibly creating exclusive drabbles just for Tumblr, dropping extra knowledge/tid-bits about stories (fun-facts), notifying when I post or what my week's schedule looks like, and just being able to talk to Ao3 writers/readers and getting closer to the community!!! My account is: catnip-no-way-man_ **
> 
> **Anyway, have a wonderful day and stay safe!**
> 
> **Sincerely,**
> 
> **Catnip? No Way Man.**


	8. The Jabberwocky

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A lot to get through today so I won’t hold you long :D It’s been amazing writing this and honestly I’m really impressed with myself, I’ve never been so prepared before!**
> 
> **Also: I've created a Tumblr account for this Ao3 account! More information in the end notes about it!**

The double doors were held open by some of the castle workers and he quickly blended into the crowd of noble people walking in. There were dozens upon dozens of them and he easily was swept up, managing to slowly push his way towards the throne. 

He got a couple of glares sent his direction but he didn’t mind when the throne came into view. It was empty and Eret wasn’t where he usually was, standing slightly behind and next to Techno. 

It was hard to see and he tried to spot anyone familiar throughout the noble crowd but only managed to see pink pig ears blocking most of his view. He also noticed some of the nobles went as far as to wear pig noses. 

_People are so weird._

There was a sound near the throne and Dream turned his head expecting to see Techno but was met with his friends. Eret was in the lead and pointed them in the correct spots. 

Sapnap, Bad, and Skeppy stood clustered together with different looks of resentment and fear. There were on the right side and on the left, two chairs were placed down. 

Dream had a pretty good idea who they were for but didn’t have to wait long until he solidified his answer. Tommy and Tubbo shuffled towards the chairs and plopped down, shoulders slumped bearing a weight Dream couldn’t begin to fathom. 

People moved and talked around him but all Dream could focus on was his friends and their looks of unhappiness; looks he never wanted to see on them. They should be smiling and drinking tea not standing in front of a cruel king. 

‘All hail the Red King who grants us mercy by giving us room and board!’ George’s voice drew his eyes away as Dream turned towards the white rabbit bouncing down the red carpet laid out in the center of the room, leading to the throne. 

Techno walked into the room with his head held high as the nobles bowed as he passed. Dream did the same with disgust as Techno finally sat down with a smug look on his face. 

George joined their friends and noticed Dream, giving the human a small and hesitant smile but it still warmed his heart knowing the rabbit hadn’t forgotten about him. 

‘I’ve gotten gifts for you all!’ Techno said in his monotone voice, smirk still plastered on his face. 

He didn’t acknowledge anyone, not even the boys or Eret. There were slight cheers from the crowd and even some of them bowed in thanks. 

All Techno had to do was snap his finger and Sapnap elegantly walked forward, a hat appearing out of thin air in his hands. He bowed his head in a respective manner and it made Dream’s blood boil unnecessarily. 

The black-haired man offered the king the hat but all Techno did was shake his head and point at a lady standing near the front. She let out a little squeal and her pig ears bounced up and down and she hurriedly stepped forward. 

Subpoena took the hint and turned to her, placing the hat gently on her head before stepping back and letting her inspect it. A couple of other ladies took a step forward and studied her head, gauging whether they liked it or not. 

Dream had a bad feeling that if they didn’t like it then his friends were going to get in a lot of trouble. 

Techno snapped again and two more hats were placed on two other womens’ heads, each with small gasps and squeals at being picked by the red king himself. 

They chatted amongst themselves so quietly that Dream couldn’t hear a thing, bouncing on his feet and waiting to hear how much they liked it. Subpoena may be insane but he created beautifully hats that Dream knew any woman from his home would want. 

He could imagine a small cottage with a line of ladies waiting to buy a hat from a much more put together Sapnap. He could see the man wearing a nice suit and a smaller sleek black top hat. Dream almost wished that his fantasy became reality, he’d love to have Sapnap as a friend in his world. 

‘What do you think?’ Dream was snapped out of his reverie. 

An older looking lady took a step forward, a snobby look on her face. ‘These are… These are atrocious my lord.The ladies hate them and so did I.’ 

He knew they were lying by the way they looked at the hats with uncontained love. They’d be wearing them until death and they didn’t try to hide the fact either, sending nasty glares in his friends direction. They were trying to get them in trouble. 

_Those wretched bitches._

‘I see. Do you think they can be fixed?’ 

‘No, my lord. They’re beyond horrible and nothing could fix these.’

The hall was silent as they all waited for what the red king would say. Eret had a smug look on his face as well, knowing they would be punished. 

‘Well, I guess all that does is speed up my plans.’ Techno looked thoughtful, rubbing a hand under his chin as he thought. 

It was Eret’s turn to step forward, his face betraying his confusion and satisfaction filled Dream for a quick moment. ‘My lord?’

‘..Yes..’ Techno stood up and waved the ladies away. They quickly fled back into the crowd, still wearing the hats. 

He addressed the audience with a scary smile. Dream could almost, almost see the metaphorical blood that stained his hands and teeth. His eyes seemed to turn a darker shade of red and fear flashed through Dream’s body and sent him on edge. 

‘I’ve been thinking!’ He spread his hands wide like a preacher. ‘There hasn’t been enough executions!’ 

Cheers erupted as Dream’s life fell apart for the second time in a week. His blood froze over and ice ran through his veins as he desperately tried to make eye contact with any one of his friends. 

They were too horrified, looking around in fear and eyes barely staying on one thing for more than a second. 

‘I sentence Sapnap, GeorgeNotFound, BadBoyHalo, and Skeppy to DEATH for treason against the king!’ Techno lost his calm demeanor, shouting out the words like poison. 

Dream hadn’t found many reasons to think the king was mad but now it was glaringly obvious, his red eyes wide and filled with uncontrollable rage. 

He just wanted to kill, they hadn’t done anything remotely close to treason against Techno and a hundred different plans flitted through his mind. 

They’d have to escape tonight, hoping for the best and just running. 

‘You know.. You know what! I say we hold the executions tonight!’ Cheers and shouting was all he heard, mouth running dry when Dream realized they had no time. 

_Time… Time… We need more time!_

He’d really lost his mind, planning for an execution in less than a day and the nobles cheered him on, Eret having a big evil smile on his face.

‘When the sun starts its descent, we will have the execution!’ That was hours away from now, just after noon. 

More cheers and Techno moved his hands to point at the door, signaling everyone to leave. They all did so willingly, excited chatter filling the room as they all went home to prepare. 

Dream stood where he was, scared his legs would give out if he tried to move. In a haze he watched a stricken Tommy and Tubbo leave hurriedly and saw Bad hugging Skeppy close as they bowed their heads. The hat on Sapnap’s head seemed to deflate as tears gathered in his eyes, George hugging his leg tightly with ears pinned close to his head. 

Eret turned towards them and unkindly forced them into the servants hall and out of the room. Techno turned to Dream, a crazed smile still plastered on his face. 

He was sure his face contained the horror he felt, not being able to mask it properly. 

‘I know you think this may be a little barbaric, but I promise you’ll enjoy it.’ 

He wanted to yell and scream at the king but never got the chance, Techno left the room with the same confidence as before. 

After a couple of minutes of standing there dumbly, Dream finally came back to his senses and trudged out of the room. 

It was like the world itself had turned black and white after hearing the news of the executions. Dream wouldn’t blame it if it had; having a world without George and Sapnap would not be a colorful one. 

He managed to somehow make it to his room, it was almost lunch but Dream knew he wouldn’t be eating anytime soon. 

He took one look at the mirror and saw how suddenly exhausted he looked. His blonde hair even seemed to be deflated and he almost wanted to give up all hope.

Almost.

One last desperate idea seemed to start forming in the back of his mind. The likelihood that it would work was extremely low but Dream didn’t care; they had to try anything that would save his friends.

A small hopeful smile on his lips and suddenly the exhaustion that plagued was gone, like a flip had been switched by the goddess of fate. 

The plan could work… if Dream played his cards right. 

He quickly got out of the room and rushed down the hall, passing by maids and asking for directions. They didn’t question him, just nodded and pointed in the right direction with a huff and eyeroll. 

By the time he actually managed to navigate where he needed to go, lunch had gone by. His stomach gurgled a little in protest by otherwise staying quiet as if knowing this was much more important than food. 

The double doors that he walked up too seemed to be subdued, not nearly as grand as the throne room’s door or dining hall. He walked forward and lightly knocked on the door.

He could hear shuffling inside and he waited patiently, letting them come to him.

The door opened with a cream and blue eyes peaked at him with slightly contained fear and blazing anger. The eyes quickly lost these emotions and it turned into sadness, the door fully opening to reveal Tommy with his shoulders slumped.

Tubbo was sitting on a bed with tears dripping down his face, not even attempting at wiping his tear stained cheeks.

‘Hey Dream.’ Tommy’s voice was small, reminding Dream of how old they were.

‘Tommy.’ He greeted back. Walking in when Tommy gestured around. 

‘Welcome to our prison.’ 

A little sad snort came from Tubbo before he burst into more tears, Tommy rushing over and comforting him with quiet words. 

‘I know what’s going on is hard to deal with…’

‘That’s an understatement.’ Tubbo managed.

Dream continued as if he hadn’t heard the remark. ‘And I know I shouldn’t be asking you this but there’s no one else.’

‘To do what?’ They asked in unison. 

‘To help me break the others out.’

Curiosity, excitement, and hope sparked in their eyes as both boys stood up.

‘How?’ Tommy’s voice was laced with disbelief.

‘When they go to… to… you know, we start a little riot and hope it’s enough.’

‘Just the three of us?’ Tubbo shook his head. ‘There’s no way.’

‘But there is… we have some help.’

‘Who? Because they need to be pretty fucking powerful.’ A little insane chuckle escaped the tall blonde.

‘Not who, what. The dragon. Their name is Purpled.’

‘The dragon? Are you sure they’ll help us?’

‘I’m positive Tubbo, you have to trust me.’

‘Of course we trust you.’ They murmured without hesitation, answering as if they were one. 

A smile creeped its way onto his face. ‘I have to go now but when I give you this signal..’ He lifted his arm and put his middle three fingers together and held them in the air. ‘We start the riot and Purpled will be there with us, causing a distraction.’ 

They nodded and Dream said goodbye before running down the halls, trying to get to the purple and black dragon as fast as he could.

His plan was foiled when he saw the courtyard was full of activity, mostly yard workers setting out chairs and cleaning things up. 

_They're getting ready for the execution.._

The word made him feel physically sick. He had no idea what he was going to do now, Purpled would have no idea that they needed to cause a distraction when Dream did the signal. He could try and sneak past the workers but the chance that they saw him was high. 

Again, Dream felt hopeless but lady luck seemed to love him so much more than he thought. As he turned around to go to his room and sulk he noticed a little squid making their way down the hall. SquidKid popped into his mind and as his last attempt, he walked over to the different Squid and bent down, giving the little creature the best attempt at a reassuring smile. 

‘Hello there!’ 

The creature seemed to be lost in their thoughts and jumped back at Dream’s appearance, fear clearly written on their face. 

They gained composure and stood tall on their tentacles. ‘Hello sir!’

‘Oh none of that! Call me Dream!’ 

‘Oh.. Uh Hello Dream.’ 

‘Hello! I was wondering if you could do me a favor.’ He was on his knees, bending down even more to meet the squid’s eyes. 

‘A f-favor?’ The squid shook with nervousness. 

‘It’s nothing serious, I just need you to talk to a friend for me.. Tell them something.’

‘I-I guess I could do that.’ They mumbled out. 

‘That’s great! What’s your name?’ 

‘SquidChild.’

_What’s with squids’ names?!_

‘Squid...Child. That’s funny, you sound familiar to another squid I knew.’ 

Happiness seemed to spark in their eyes that had Dream slightly recoiling at the flame that was so suddenly in their eyes.

‘M-my brother! I’m SquidKid’s older brother.’

_Oh..._

‘Oh, SquidChild do you know about SquidKid?’ 

The creature looked sad again. ‘Yes, but if you knew him you must’ve been friends. Not a lot of people knew his name.’ 

‘I guess you could consider us friends..’ 

A smile managed to appear on SquidChild’s face, making it look younger. The tux suddenly seemed too big, like a literal child playing dress up with their parent’s clothes. Dream wanted to take him far away from the king but knew it was impossible. He managed another smile, but it wasn’t as reassuring as before.

‘Well, Dream I’d love to help you then! What do you want me to say and to who?’ 

‘Their name is Purpled. And I need you to tell them about a super secret plan. Do you think you can keep it secret?’ His voice had fallen to a whisper. 

The little squid nodded up and down vigorously. 

‘Well.. here’s the plan..’ Dream quickly whispered the plan and signal to SquidChild who retained all the information successfully. 

It seemed everyone but Techno and Eret knew that the dragon was friendly and wasn’t surprised or scared at the mention of Purpled. All the squid did was have a knowing smile that Dream didn’t even want to try to figure out and plopped off. 

SquidChild assured him Purpled would get the message and not to worry. Of course that didn’t stop him from letting worry worm its way into his soul but Dream still walked to his room. If this was as important as the king made it to be he was 99% sure that he’d have to wear something special. 

His guess was correct, the wardrobe had a new outfit in it that held a little note, explaining it was for the execution. 

There was a fluffy cape in their made out of red and black material. Another button-up shirt with little black hearts on it and jeans. What surprised him the most was the mask settled next to it, a note indicating he wore that too. It had a messy smiley face on it, the mask was completely black with white eyes. There was a mouth hole and eye holes but no nose holes. 

The first thing he thought of was when his youngest sister and him were creating pictures. He created a smiley face identical to this one in an attempt to make his sister laugh, it worked and later they created a silly mask. 

This looked exactly like this mask but it wasn’t made out of paper but clay and it was most definitely the wrong color. 

Uneasiness filled him and with shaking fingers he fitted the mask over his face. At first he felt the full effects of claustrophobia but the overwhelming sensation slowly left him, leaving an odd feeling of home. It was still wrong but instead of the problem being the mask it was the color.

_The mask shouldn’t be black…_

He should be worried that the color was what made him upset the most but again, Wonderland seemed to try and sunrise him everyday. Of course he’d end up wearing a childhood mask he made with his sister year’s ago because why not. 

He quickly changed and noted that even with small eyes holes he still could see everything he saw before, there was no hindrance except the nose holes. In fact, the mask felt like another piece of armor that protected him. 

Walking to the door and ready to open it and walk out, Dream paused and looked back. A feeling like something was missing settled over him and before he knew what was happening, Dream was looking for a small bag and shoving his ruined emerald green waistcoat into it. 

He could leave it behind, he just couldn't. 

_It’s a second limb at this point!_

There wasn’t a feeling of annoyance, only comfort at carrying the bag around with him. He knew better than to let Techno see it and quickly found a hiding spot near the courtyard. When they ran, it would probably be them running through the castle and would be the perfect opportunity for Dream to grab it. 

Time had flown and the sun indicated it was almost time for the execution to start. While lady luck was on his side, time was not. Dream was not ready to do this, to either run for his life with the threat of death chasing them or see his friends be executed one by one.

Noblemen and women were already congregating in the courtyard and it looked even more viscous with the long shadows the sun cast. He tried to look as confident as he could, passing by people as they stopped mid-conversation and looked at him with awe. 

Most were looking at his new mask, and with surprise Dream noted some nobles held looks of fear on their face. He had no idea why they would be scared of him or the mask he wore, surely it wasn’t that threatening?

The shadow’s kept getting longer and longer, all the while more people filled the courtyard until there was barely any space to walk. The only empty area was around the execution platform.

There was a shift beside him and Dream turned his head to come face to face with Callahan. They didn’t say anything, just exchanged nods before turning their attention back to the platform where a burly man wearing a black mask appeared. 

Cheers and shouts erupted when he flexed his muscles, walking in a circle and nodding. Dream rolled his eyes and crossed his arms, keeping silent and gritting his teeth behind the mask. 

The cheers continued until the man finally stopped gloating and started sharpening a big axe. Chills crept up Dream's spine when he saw how big the axe was, with a weapon like that it would be very easy to chop through bone..

_Stop! I shouldn’t be thinking like that!_

He needed to stay positive and have faith that the plan would work, that he’d be able to save his friends. 

Finally the man finished and everyone started talking amongst themselves, waiting for the king. Callahan was still standing next to him, refusing to meet his eye or say anything. It unsettled him more than he wanted to admit but then again, this whole situation was completely unsettling. 

Just as Dream was beginning to untense, thinking something had happened to delay the execution his heart was shattered. Trumpets coming from nowhere alerted everyone of the king’s presence, he walked into the courtyard in the finest and most expensive clothes Dream had seen yet. It looked like he was just wearing blood - the color capturing the foul liquid perfectly. 

Behind him scurried Tommy and Tubbo with their heads down, it truly looked like they were upset and knew nothing. He’d have to congratulate them later on the good acting. 

Behind the two boys Eret led a solemn group all in chains. It was easy to see who they were and Dream took a deep breath. 

They didn’t wear the red castle’s costumes but they were allowed to wear their own clothes. The difference of seeing something other than red and blakc hurt his head a little, his mind wasn’t used to comprehending other colors. 

The trumpets stopped and Techno took a seat in a huge wooden chair that Dream just noticed. It was right in front of the execution platform and was easily considered the center of focus.

Two chairs were placed on either side of him and the boys each took their respective seats, still not giving anything away. 

Eret wore some grand looking chainmail and pulled the chained group forward to the executioner. With one last sneer at them he stalked off and took his place behind the red king’s seat. 

Techno still looked mad, that crazy gleam still shining bright in his red eyes. He stood up and silence fell over the courtyard, breath being held as they all waited for what the king would say. 

‘For the act of treason, these criminals have been sentenced to death!’ Quick shouting that fell silent a second later. The red king waited patiently with a crazed smile. 

‘I believe it is only right that they see their leader die first!’ 

He shook his head silently, the only thing Dream could do. 

‘Sapnap! May you suffer thus punishment with peace, knowing that you’re doing the right thing!’

Out of all of them, Sapnap held his head high with pride and defiance. He started shouting at the king but was quickly hit, shutting him up. There were gasps at his foul words but only a snicker appeared on Dream’s face. They’d need that defiance for when they escaped. 

It didn’t take long before Sapnap was shoved to his knees, headset on a stone block. George tried to fight and scream reassurances at his friends, the poor rabbit looked heartbroken and scarred. 

Skeppy and Bad huddled close to each other, offering as much comfort as they could with the size difference between them. Subpoena still had the look of defiance in his shining eyes but didn’t try to fight, staying limp and pliant to the executioner. 

There was a quick word of the honor of death, it was all a blur because the only thing Dream seemed to see was Sapnap. For a split second he forgot about the plan, panic overtaking his thoughts.

The signature hat was still on Sapnap’s head, like a beacon that offered some sort of familiar comfort. 

The giant axe was lifted high in the air, cheers filling the air and taking away Dream’s breath and the viciousness of it all. 

The executioner waited, letting the crowd cheer, enough time for Dream to get his wits about him. His muscles twitched and Dream started lifting his hand, three fingers in position. 

Just as the axe was about to fall and Dream was about to start a riot, shock gasps echoed around and everything paused. The axe fell down next to Sapnap and Dream’s arm fell back to his side. 

Sapnap’s giant, signature hat was floating in the air higher and higher. The ribbon flitted around in the air as wind whipped at it. The king had stood up with a look of fiery as the hats finally stopped and just seemed to float. 

Dream blinked and suddenly instead of a floating hat, there was a floating cat wearing the hat with the biggest and smuggest smile in the world. 

‘Am I interrupting?’

No one got to say anything else, shouts being exclaimed and noble people running everywhere. People ran past him and in the chaos, Dream’s mind slowed down to try and come to a conclusion as to what was happening. 

The clash of swords brought him to reality, the pig hybrids were fighting knights in pure white. They looked like angels and Dream thought for a moment maybe they were, before he finally relieved the only knights who wore white here. 

Phil’s knights had come to rescue them! 

_Sapnap!_

He turned his head, expecting to see a dead Sapnap but was pleasantly met with the sight of his friends holding swords and parrying with pig hybrids. There weren’t many white knights and more red knights kept coming, Dream knew they’d be outnumbered soon enough. 

Eret was in the middle of the fighting, sword in hand and swinging away at white knights. Techno was nowhere to be found and Dream wondered where the king had run off too and why. He wanted to go find the king and his legs started towards the castle, only to be stopped when a giant roar shook the ground. 

Pig hybrids stopped and looked over to where the sound was, a fierce purple and black dragon out-stretched their wings and roared again. 

Purpled was free, SquidChild had been able to send the message! 

Hybrids charged at the dragon but were no match, getting knocked away easily from it’s tail or claws, stumbling away when they got up again.

Most of the courtyard was empty, red knights running away as the dragon charged at them. The white knights were already gesturing at Dream, motioning for him to follow them. 

He had to do one more thing before he left this horrid castle.

At a full sprint, Dream launched himself to the hiding spot that contained his sacred waistcoat. He quickly grabbed it and ran back to the courtyard where the knights were already running out of a whole in the wall that Purpled had caused. 

Sapnap, George, Skeppy, and many others that Dream could barely make out were in the front. Intending to follow them, he walked forward only to be gently stopped by a tail. 

Purpled bowed their head and used their tail to point at its back. At first, Dream had no idea what Purpled wanted until it suddenly clicked. 

A slight tremor of excitement pulsed through him and Dream quickly hopped onto the dragon. After Purpled made sure there were no more white knights left behind and that Dream was securely on its back, Purpled started to flap his wings. 

Dream held on for dear life and was terrified at first, but once in the air excitement replaced the terrifying feeling of falling. 

Purpled flew towards the white castle and Dream watched as they passed the land from above. He let out a little ‘whoop’ and in a show of braveness, held out his hands, letting the wind catch them. 

He had taken off the mask during the fight and now his face felt unrestrained and free, smile easily lighting up his features. 

The moon had started to rise and Purpled went higher, going into the clouds as Dream giggled like a teenage girl. 

Once they landed there was a lot to talk about but for now, Dream was happy to stay oblivious and enjoy the crazy sensation of touching literal clouds. 

The man on the moon and lady luck smiled down with delight as Dream continued to laugh and smile as if all of Wonderland wasn’t counting on him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **The End.. for now!**
> 
> **Wow! There was a lot happening in this one! I wonder what’s gonna happen now that Techno is pissed and the gang is saved!**
> 
> **_Now regarding the Tumblr account! Basically, I've created an account for this Ao3 account. Why does this account matter? Basically, I'll be posting sneak peeks for stories, accepting prompts, possibly creating exclusive drabbles just for Tumblr (I just posted my first one yesterday), dropping extra knowledge/tid-bits about stories (fun-facts), notifying when I post or what my week's schedule looks like, and just being able to talk to Ao3 writers/readers and getting closer to the community!!! My account is: catnip-no-way-man_ **
> 
> **I have a little question: Can anyone tell me the little Hunger Games reference I put in there?**
> 
> **Have a good day everyone and sorry for the late post, YouTube tricked me into watching videos!**
> 
> **Sincerely,**
> 
> **Catnip? No Way Man.**


	9. Dormouse

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Hello everyone! Now that we’ve escaped the red king’s castle, what comes next? >:D **

Purpled landed on the ground with a giant thud, wings settling against their side. Multiple maids and knights had run out to look at the dragon in shock, gasps and screams echoed throughout the yard. 

It was the same courtyard that he and Phil talked in and Dream was happy to see the lively plants again. He could even see the bench he and the king sat on. 

He slowly got off Purpled and patted their scales, still awestruck from the flight. 

He looked over to the door that led into the castle, hearing an even bigger commotion behind the wooden doors. It only took a moment before Phil burst out with a smile, the white king not looking worried, scared, or concerned. 

‘Dream!’ Phil’s smile grew even bigger and Dream rushed over, meeting the king halfway and hugging him tightly. His bag that contained his green waistcoat was forgotten on the ground. 

He had other things to worry about than just that.

‘Phil.’ He breathed out the name, the tension of being in the red castle easing out of him like air in a torn balloon. 

‘The others will be here shortly and then we can properly talk.’ Phil let go of him and stood back, looking at Purpled. 

Focus now on Purpled, Dream got ready to introduce the dragon to the king, words ready to leave his mouth. 

‘Nice to see you again, Purpled.’ The dragon dipped its head to the king in respect. 

‘You know Purpled?’ Dream was shocked, did everyone know about the dragon?! 

‘Of course, he used to visit Techno and I all the time.’ 

‘Well, I guess I don’t need to introduce you two then.’ The king chuckled at his remark. 

‘Purpled, I’ll make sure you're well-cared for and have a comfortable place to sleep. Please excuse Dream and I, we have some things to discuss.’ 

The dragon nodded again and lowered its head to the ground, letting some of the braver maids come forward and talk to it. 

Phil turned around and gestured for Dream to follow, he noticed some of the knights did the same and set out behind them at a distance. He didn’t mind them much, before he hadn’t paid them much attention but since the attack it seemed like they were all he saw anymore. 

They deserved more recognition, especially since saving him and his friends. Dream would ask Phil to do something in their honor.

They walked through the castle, turning every which way until Dream was confused about its layout once again. After a few more turns they walked into the main entrance and right out the front of the castle, opening into the market square he was so fascinated by before. 

An odd knight or two could be seen walking the square, but other than that it was mostly deserted since it was past dark. 

The lights from the castles’ windows illuminated enough to see a good 20 feet in front of it and Dream expected to see his friends burst from the shadows any second now. He assumed that’s why Phil brought them there - to wait for their friends. 

It didn’t take long until he heard feet on cobble and the semi-large party could be outlined by the moonlight. He unconsciously took a step forward, wanting to make sure they were all accounted for and safe. 

A white knight led the way and walked into the light, bowing to Phil and stepping to the side. Bad and Skeppy were trailing behind the knight, waving enthusiastically at the pair and smiling. Next was George and Wilbur, who had their heads closely together and were whispering in hushed tones. The cat was slightly above the ground, tail flicking back and forth as they moved forward. 

Tommy and Tubbo followed the rabbit and cat, both yelling out Phil’s name and running forward. Phil reciprocated the action, saying both their names and hugging them tightly when the three of them met. 

Dream’s attention was so focused on the small family that he didn’t notice when Sapnap walked up next to him, humming some sort of tune. 

Dream whirled to face the crazy man and let out a laugh of pure happiness, giving him a side hug. Sanap also let out a tiny chuckle and accepted the hug. 

Back at home, Dream would’ve been shunned for showing so much affection, another thing that was so different in this world. It was one of his most favorite changes, no longer having to worry about whether he was being masculine enough or not. 

After a few more seconds of their embrace they both stepped back, smiles still on their faces. 

‘It’s so good to see you Sapnap, for a second I thought you were gonna be.. be.. you know.’

Sapnap shrugged and Dream noticed his hat was back in place, sitting elegantly on his head. ‘Sometimes negative things need to happen in order for the best outcome to take place.’ 

_How can you be so insane sometimes but say things like that?_

‘Well, I’m glad this didn’t need to happen. I’ve ended up becoming attached to you guys.’

‘Just like before.’ It was mumbled under his breath and Dream wasn’t sure if Sapnap knew he said anything or not. 

Suddenly, barking overtook the market and Dream turned away from Sapnap to see Zelk running towards another dog and some pups. It didn’t take a genius to figure out who the dogs were and while happiness filled him at seeing Zelk finally being able to see his pups, a dark bitterness also took root. 

He didn’t have the chance to find SquidKid’s parents, something he really wanted to do before he left this world. 

It was still a pleasant surprise to see them together, Dream hadn’t even noticed that the knight’s rescued them as well. After appreciating the strong-willed family for a few moments more, he walked over to where all the others were talking.

Sapnap followed behind him quietly, letting him take the lead. 

‘-to do next.’ Was all of the sentence he caught but wasn’t too concerned with it. 

By now, everyone had noticed Sapnap and him and they all said their greetings, mostly in the form of hugs. 

Making a beeline for Tommy and Tubbo, Dream looked over them to make sure they hadn’t gotten hurt back at the red castle. Thankfully they hadn’t and he let out a small breath, Tubbo and Tommy letting him fuss for a little bit more before complaining and demanding Dream stop worrying so much. 

He rolled his eyes but backed-up nonetheless, noticing the momentary look of pride on Phil’s face. He had no idea what the king was proud about but didn’t comment on it, only situating himself beside the king and remaining silent as everyone else settled down. 

Phil cleared his throat and finally a small circle was formed, Zelk, his mate, and his pups somehow fitting in the circle as well. 

‘Now that we’re all here, I think it’s time we discuss what’s going to happen.’ 

‘There’s no discussion.’ Sapnap leaned forward a little, a deadly serious look on his face. ‘A war is going to happen.’ 

At the end of his sentence, multiple arguments sprung out and combined together, all denying the need for war. 

Bad, Skeppy, and Tubbo being the loudest about the need for peace and how bad war would be right now. 

Tommy, Wilbur, and George were there to defend Sapnap, stating it was going to happen anyway, why not start it now? 

‘Silence!’ Phil said in a kingly voice that had everyone shutting up. 

Dream opted to stay quiet and judge the situation on the sidelines, it seemed Zelk was doing the same. 

‘I’m afraid to say that Sapnap is right.’

‘What?!’ and ‘That’s not fair!’ erupted from multiple mouths. 

Phil waited patiently, not once losing his cool. ‘After the little stunt we played today, the likelihood that the red king is going to issue war is very high. We’re not going to be the one starting it, no, we wait until the red king sends something.’ 

Multiple mouths opened but Phil quickly stated the rest of his minispeech. ‘But, we are going to start preparing for it. For now, we’re all tired and I suggest we get some rest.’

Dream enthusiastically nodded along, the prospect of sleep delighting him more than food, which his body was in dire need of. He hadn’t been able to eat anything all day, having to run around and do something or try and find a way to save his friends. 

His mind still hadn’t come to the fact that hours ago his new friends were inches away from being executed. It wasn’t really something he wanted to think about right now anyway. 

Again, the little group all agreed and broke apart, heading every which way. It hadn’t occurred to Dream that not everyone lived in the castle. 

Luckily, he did notice that Tommy and Tubbo were making their way towards the double doors and quickly followed behind them. Phil was staying behind talking to Sapnap and George about something, while he was curious to know what it was he also knew that it didn’t concern him in any way. 

The pair opened the door and waited for him, letting Dream walk in as well. 

‘Would you happen to know where my room is?’ 

Tubbo giggled and Tommy rolled his eyes but they still gestured for him to follow them. 

‘I can’t wait to sleep on our comfortable beds again.’ Tubbo looked at the air like he was imaging them. 

‘Do you like the beds here more?’ Dream hadn’t found a difference, the red and white castles’ bed both being the most comfortable beds he’d ever laid on. 

‘Uhh, yes!’ Both boys looked at Dream like he was crazy while talking at the same time. 

‘Ok, ok! Jeez!’ He let out a wheeze. 

They all laughed for a moment, the walk going much quicker than anticipated with the boys stopping in front of a door.

‘Here you are, Dream!’ The oldest of the two smiled and waved goodbye. 

‘Goodnight, Dream.’ Tommy also waved. 

‘Goodnight Tubbo and Tommy.’ He opened the door and closed it behind him, pausing when his hand was about to leave the doorknob. 

A fuzzy memory of him setting his bag down in the courtyard while he hugged Phil appeared and he let out an irritated sigh. 

Dream did not want to go all the way to the courtyard again and hoped that the bag would still be there in the morning. He let go of the doorknob and walked over to the bed, getting ready to collapse on it when something else caught his attention. 

It was his bag, the one he left in the courtyard. It sat innocently on a random coffee table and he briskly walked over to it, letting out an excited little noise when it was indeed his green waistcoat. 

He closed the bag again and made his way back to the bed, falling on it with another small noise; this time of contentment. 

He carefully took off his shoes, shirt, and pants, only leaving his boxers. He curled up under the bed and closed his eyes, getting ready to sleep in Wonderland for another time. 

Like every other time, Dream was able to fall asleep easily. 

However, there was a small difference that separated this night from the others. Before, Dream had peaceful dreams that mostly contained his family or an odd teaparty with his new friends, this time there was clashing and screaming surrounding him from all sides.

Purpled appeared in his dream and like the flash of lightning, disappeared again. His breathing increased, confusion and horror making him dizzy as the sound of clashing metal and battle cries overtook his hearing. 

Suddenly, taking up his whole view was a giant skeleton creature, bigger than any living thing he’d seen before, even bigger than Purpled. 

He let out a yell of terror, turning and running as fast as he could. But no matter how fast he ran, the thing was always behind him, always taunting him. Close enough to kill him… 

Dream let out another yell, sitting up and blinking, breathing still erratic. It took a moment for him to decipher he was in a bed, sheets tangled around his legs. 

Sweat was dripping down his neck and he turned a little to see that it was just before sunrise. The sky was already slightly lighting up as the sun got ready to rise and signal the start of a new day. 

He sighed and wiped away the sweat, maneuvering himself so he could let his legs dangle over the side of the bed. His nightmare was still vivid in his mind, the horrible creature haunting him even in the world of the waking. 

Hoping to get rid of the nightmare, Dream decided now was the best time to try that shower he was looking forward to days ago. 

There were already towels in there, Dream thanking lady luck that he wouldn’t need to talk to someone in this state. 

His whole body was still shaking, adrenaline making his heart beat a thousand miles per hour. The shower was nice and big and he easily figured out how to operate it, turning it on to barely warm. 

Yes, he was one of the weirdos that liked colder kinds of showers, a shaky smile crossing his lips when he thought about his sisters and how they were terrified when they realized he didn’t take scorching hot showers like them. 

He got underneath the running water and stood there, letting the cold ease his weary muscles. He bowed his head, the water feeling like it was weighing him down, grounding him to this world and making sure his mind didn’t run wild from scary dreams.

There were little bottles of shampoo and conditioner there and he didn’t waste any time using them. 

Altogether, the shower didn’t take long but the effects were very significant. His body had cooled and calmed down, adrenaline no longer coursing through his veins. The nightmare was almost completely forgotten, a fuzzy memory in the back of his head. 

Dream was sure that by midday he wouldn’t even know what the nightmare was about and why it scared him so much. 

When he got out of the bathroom, the sun had already broken the horizon and lit up the mostly white room, painting it in orange, pink, red, and yellow. Outside, the sight was breathtaking and he took a moment to look out the window, double-checking that his towel was securely around his waist. 

Sometimes, he just liked to admire the world and appreciate all that the earth offered. The beautiful sights, sounds, and feelings that most people passed by or forgot about, like the feeling of grass. It’s texture always perplexed him and Dream found himself touching it most days rather than not, letting the feeling calm him.

After watching part of the sunrise, Dream went over to the “magic” wardrobe, since it always seemed to have what he needed. Today was no different, with a new set of clothing along with boxers. 

The first thing Dream noticed was the color, the top was emerald green and the bottoms were jeans, something that the red castle most certainly didn’t have.

Another thing noticed was the mask, just to the side of the clothes. It was like the one Techno had for him but it was white, he didn’t find it odd but instead found it comforting in some way. 

He quickly put on the jeans, the green button-up, and the white sneakers that were there as well. Finally, he held the mask up and decided he didn’t want to fully wear it but also wanted it on him. He opted to put it at the top of his head and whenever he wanted to fully wear it, could just pull it down. 

Looking in the mirror, the mask looked like it belonged there everyday, as if this mask was a part of his soul he just found. Just like the green waistcoat had become a part of his soul too.

Taking one last look in the mirror, Dream walked out of the room and peeked down the hall for the sign of a single person. Luck was not on his side this time but that didn’t stop him, he turned to the left and started aimlessly walking. 

He determined that he would run into someone eventually and they’d point him in the right direction; the dining hall. 

Phil was probably already in there with the boys, eating some delicious breakfast that all chefs in this world seemed to make. 

He didn’t end up running into anybody but his memory wasn’t as bad as he thought because Dream was still able to find the dining hall. It also didn’t take too long, only 10 minutes before he spotted the familiar double doors that would lead him to the king. 

He opened it as quietly as he could but four pairs of eyes still looked at him. Phil was at the head of the table, Tubbo and Tommy sitting to his left and Wilbur sitting to his right.

The cat was actually on the chair instead of floating, the first time he had ever seen Wilbur actually sitting or standing on something solid. 

He walked past half of the table and took a seat next to Wilbur, who offered him a toothy smile. 

‘Goodmorning, Dream!’ Tubbo smiled and Tommy waved, their voices in perfect sync. 

Phil laughed at it and also waved in greeting. ‘How was your sleep?’ 

There was the slightest pause but Dream forced out the lie. ‘Good.’

_No, it was horrible and I don’t know what it means._

He didn’t want to worry them, it was only a nightmare after all.

_But what if it isn’t?_

‘Well, that’s great! We have a lot to discuss today so eat up!’ Phil's voice brought him out of his insane ramblings, nodding at what the white king said.

A maid came up and set a plate in front of him, full of savory foods. Dream was sure he’d never get tired of gourmet foods, something he wished he had back in his world. 

The cooks they had weren’t _bad_ , per say but they also weren’t the best. 

He grabbed one the silver forks and started digging in, noticing Tommy and Tubbo were also doing the same. Wilbur and Phil’s plates were already empty save for a few crumbs scattered around. 

Like always, the food was delicious and Dream found himself craving more. He had no idea how none of them were overweight! He’d be eating food from the kitchens all day until he was old and fat. 

Soon enough, the two teens finished their plates and along with Dream, pushing the plates away from themselves in a sign of surrender. There was nothing left on Dream’s plate, even the crumbs were eaten by the dirty blonde haired man. 

He set the silverware down and sat back, waiting for direction from Phil. It didn’t take long before the king stood up and everyone followed.

The sound of chairs scraping echoed throughout the hall as they stood up and pushed the chairs back in, Phil waiting patiently for them.

Finally, Phil flashed them a cheeky grin then turned around and went out of the door in the back of the dining hall, Tommy and Tubbo at his heels.

Dream was going to wait until he was in the back but Wilbur shut down his idea quickly, offering a giant smile and not moving until Dream did.

‘Cheeky cat.’ He muttered as he passed Wilbur, the cat’s ears perking at the jab.

‘Thank you for the compliment Dream.’ Wilbur said in a serious voice.

Letting out a little laugh, Dream continued to follow behind the other three. It was fairly clear where they were headed; the courtyard.

It was one of the only places Dream knew how to get too and for once he felt comfortable following the familiar hallways. 

It didn’t take long before they were outside, bright and colorful plants surrounding them on all sides. Dream was so busy admiring the beautiful plants that it took a second for him to realize the group sat in the middle of the yard.

He really needed to work on his perception skills. 

Once he did notice them, his lips curled into a smile as a little bit of shock made him stand there and blink dumbly. 

Purpled was in the middle of the yard, curled in like a cat and all of the others were sitting around the dragon having a tea party.

Sapnap was holding a tea pot while George, Skeppy, Bad, and Zelk held teacups, waiting for their cup to be filled. 

Purpled also had a bigger sized cup in front of themself, noticeably made that way for a creature of bigger size. 

Phil, Tommy, and Tubbo were already half-way there, Wilbur floating beside him. ‘Come on Dream, we can't be late for the tea party.’ The cat purred and disappeared. 

He managed to get himself out of his little trance and walked (stumbled) forward.

Once close enough, he was greeted by getting a tea cup thrust in his hands. George being the one to do it and then flicking his ears towards an empty spot. Dream obeyed and sat down, George plopping down next to him.

‘I like your mask.’ George sipped on his tea, paws carefully holding it. 

Dream was utterly confused, what mask? His confusion must’ve shown because the rabbit chuckled and set down his cup, pointing to Dream’s head.

He followed the paw, using his hand to feel around. Embarrassment about forgetting the white, circular mask on his head forced his cheeks to redden. 

‘Oh yeah, this. It was just in my wardrobe and i thought it would be cool to try and wear it.’ 

‘It suits you.’ It looked like George had more he wanted to say and Dream waited for him to finish but it never happened.

George instead grabbed his cup and started drinking his tea again. 

_Why does every animal here strive to confuse me?_

Dream was still holding his cup, forgetting that it was empty and bringing it to his face to take a drink. A shadow hovered over him and Dream looked up to see Sapnap grinning madly at him.

‘As much as the air here is delicious, I think you’d like the tea better.’ Dreams cheeks reddened once again and held up his cup in defeat to the black haired man.

‘Like you haven’t done it before.’ He kept his hold on the cup steady as tea filled it. He was trying to jab back at Sapnap and get the attention away from him, of course it didn’t work.

Sapnap shrugged and pulled the pot back towards himself. ‘I have. How do you think I know the air is delicious?’ 

Dream rolled his eyes at Sapnap remark and blew on the steaming cup. Sapnap also let out a chuckle and walked back to his spot, landing on the grass heavily. 

The tea was pretty good and Dream found himself downing half the cup quickly. 

The large group of friends stayed like that until the sun reached its peak. The tea was long forgotten, instead they mostly joked around and talked about nothing.

It was midday when their smiles dropped as a frantic maid rushed towards them, some sort of paper waving in the air along with her hands.

She reached Phil in record time, huffing and puffing but still managing to get the paper to him. He dismissed her with a smile and thank you before examining the paper in his hands.

They all had gone silent and everyone subconsciously leaned forward, curiosity compelling them to patiently wait until Phil shared the contents of paper but not enough for them not to get closer. 

He read it with a blank face but the slight trembling of his hands gave him away.

Dream knew it was bad news and his heart picked up pace as Phil finished reading.

The white king looked up and sighed, shaking his head. His voice wasn’t like Dream expected it to be, (worried and scared) instead it was full of cold stone determination.

‘The Red King has declared war on the White Kingdom.’

There were different reactions but not one of them was fear. They all knew the red king would probably do something like this; the only question was when.

It only turned out to be a lot quicker than expected. 

Dream was quite surprised that he wasn’t really scared either. Instead, he felt the same determination that they all were feeling.

It was about time that Techno was taken down.

Dream knew what he had to do. It was time to focus on the prophecy Phil had talked about earlier in the week in this very courtyard.

Dream was going to be the knight that saved Wonderland from Techno’s horrible rule. 

He was really glad that he wouldn’t have to do it alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **The End! …for now.**
> 
> **We’re at the climax! With war looming on the horizon, what will the White Kingdom do?**
> 
> **And will Dream and his friends be able to save Wonderland from Techno’s cruel hand?**
> 
> **Who knows >:) **
> 
> **And fun fact; yes, I like cold showers. Sue me ;)**
> 
> **Sincerely,**
> 
> **Catnip? No Way Man.**


	10. Tweedle Dee & Tweedle Dum

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Hi everyone! Finally got the chapter out, again I'm sorry it was late! After thinking about the story, I've decided that yes, I'm going to be making this story out of 12 chapters instead of the original 11. There's just still so much to write and I don't want one chapter to be 3000 words more than all the others, that's just not how I roll.**

The rest of the day had gone past in flying colors and ended with Dream laying in bed trying to catch up with the day’s events. His head was spinning and he almost felt like he’d run a marathon of some kind - there was nothing else to compare this feeling too. 

When Phil announced the declaration of war, Dream didn’t know what to expect but he also knew what to _not_ expect. 

What he didn’t expect was for Phil to carry on with the tea party and see that it finished out. No one seemed panicked or rushed, all animals and humans enjoying their time with each other. 

After the end of the party, the White King dragged him away into a huge library lined with books on all four walls. There was a small break in the shelves, a fireplace was brightly lit there instead. 

He was directed to sit on one of the two recliners placed just in front of the fire. With a huff, Dream sat down and watched as Phil did the same, confusion taking over his brain. 

Dream didn’t know it at the time, but the rest of the day would be spent in that library. Dream’s mind would be hurting by the end after all the information he’d gained, Phil happily explaining and telling him everything. Answering every question with endless amounts of patience. 

During their little chat, Dream had found out that this war wasn’t going to be like the wars he’d heard of back home. 

There would be no months of preparation and planning. They were on a time limit, the minutes feeling like they were quickly slipping through his fingers.

Instead of multiple battles, there would only be one major one. This battle would determine the winner of the war and who got all the lands that this crazy place offered. 

The White King explained to him that Techno had already specified the time and place, all they needed to do was show up and fight. 

Again, Dream didn’t know what to expect but he should’ve known it would’ve been a crazy time limit. The Red King had specifically stated that in three days the two kingdoms would duel it out. 

It was at an old towers’ remains, the area around it flat and uninhabited for years. Phil didn’t give him any other explanation about the tower and Dream didn’t push it. 

Just talking about how Wonderland wars worked took up most of the day and Dream found himself yawning just as Phil finished up on the topic. The king offered a smile and urged him to go to bed and get rest, these next few days would be full of non-stop work. 

He happily agreed, offering goodnight and wandering into his room. 

That’s where he was now, staring up at the ceiling and willing his tired body to go to bed. His mind was still racing with so many thoughts, ideas, and questions, that for a moment Dream was sure he wouldn’t find any form of sleep. 

But, somehow he was graced with the gift of slowly being able to shut-down his mind and close his eyes. 

Within a second of closing his eyes, they were opened again to the bright light that streamed through his window. The rays somehow managed to land straight on his face and pull him out of slumber. 

A groan was his only form of frustration as he slowly dressed into some clothes placed into the giant wardrobe. He never questioned how it got there and wasn’t too concerned that there were probably maid’s poking around his room daily. He had nothing to hide after all. 

It was easy to find his way around the castle after he changed and was happily greeted in the dining hall. Almost everyone was there, save for Purpled and Zelk. 

Plopping down in between Bad and George, Dream feasted upon the food that was placed in front of him seconds after he sat. 

The mouse smiled at him while George snickered, making some remark about eating faster than Tommy. 

There were quiet discussions going on around him but Dream was still too tired to try and zone in on any of them. If he needed to hear something important then someone would address him.

The plate in front of him became empty very quickly and for once, he felt like today would go according to plan. This usually didn’t happen and Dream didn’t really know today’s schedule but he felt confident that he wasn’t going to be surprised at the turn of events today. 

With the plate empty, Dream sat there and looked around quietly, observingly. He smiled when he noticed that everyone was at ease, talking cheerfully and that all were relaxed. 

He was so distracted by his friends that he didn't notice one of his friends studying him, like he studied others. Sapnap was sitting right across from him and when Dream did finally notice the cheeky man, he couldn't help but wonder how long the hat maker had been staring at him. 

Sapnap’s top hat was elegantly tipped to the side just like his head was, the black-haired male offered a large smile when he noticed he was caught. 

Dream was slightly unnerved, he’d never been caught staring at people and was certainly never stared at and studied so meticulously before. Dream could tell it was meticulous, just from Sapnap’s eyes and how they felt like they bore into his soul as they silently stared at each other. 

_I wonder if Sapnap’s always been like that, studying people like I’ve done. Easily able to look into anyone’s soul and see their intention. I wonder if he can look at mine just as easily as he can others._

Dream liked to think he wasn’t as open as others, able to hide his feelings and intentions easily so they weren’t given up through his eyes. Now he questioned this.

The clapping of hands interrupted the two males and everyone turned to Phil, who stood up at the head of the table with a smile on his face.

‘Alright, we’ve got three days until the battle. After talking to the knights and advisors, I have scheduled tasks for everyone.’ Groans were heard around the room; which Phil promptly ignored. ‘These are the things you need to complete before the war, meaning you have three days.’ 

Out of nowhere, Phil held a stack of paper in one of his hands and Dream could only guess it was the different tasks everyone had. 

The king passed them down the table, watching silently as everyone grabbed their piece of paper. Dream was finally handed the stack and shuffled them until he came across his name. It had **_Dream_** elegantly written on it and he was happy to see the list wasn’t too long. 

He turned and passed the stack on before he looked at the paper, carefully reading it and making sure he didn’t miss anything. 

**_Dream_ **

**_Go talk to Sir Punz about training with the knights_  
Train with the knights  
Go to blacksmith Ponk and ask for armor  
Ask George about gift **

It wasn’t a crazy list but the different names had Dream reeling. He had met so many people in such a short amount of time that Dream didn’t know if he could handle trying to remember more people. 

_Too bad. Phil wants you to do these things so you're going to do these things._

The chair beside him moved and Dream looked over to see Bad leaving, Skeppy next to him. That when Dream noticed everyone was starting to get up, no doubt going to complete their tasks. 

Phil was still in the same spot, smiling as everyone bid their farewells and left. Dream decided it was his time to make leave as well, pushing back his chair and standing up. 

He headed out of the dining hall after a quick goodbye and thought about his plan of action. It would probably be best to go down the list instead of doing it randomly. 

With that decided, Dream turned down a hall that he knew led to the back of the castle. Behind the castle was where the knights training grounds were, Phil had told him about it yesterday. He wasn’t sure who Sir Punz was but wasn’t too worried about it, he could just ask one of the knights. 

From small interactions Dream has had with the White Knights, they all seemed kind and passionate. They were nice and kind to everyone, no matter what they sounded or looked like; Dream had high respect for them and was glad they’d be the ones showing him how to fight.

The dirty-blonde haired man finally made it out of the castle and easily found the stone path that would lead him to the training grounds. 

His body slightly shook from excitement and anticipation. What would they teach him? How? Dream knew nothing about fighting, the only weapon he ever used was a gun for sport but even then, he never shot anything; he didn’t have the heart to shoot a poor animal. 

He did get into a small fist-fight with his cousin but Dream wasn’t sure that counted, he only got one punch in before his cousin beat the shi- beat the life out of him. 

He didn’t have long to think about fighting because suddenly the sounds of grunting and the clinging of metal against metal was heard in the distance. Taking a deep breath and squaring his shoulders, Dream marched into the training grounds. 

The sight took him by surprise, at least a hundred knights were running around and parrying each other while others looked on and cheered. The smell of sweat was taking over his senses along with the loud sounds that caused him to freeze; it took a moment for Dream to become aware of his surroundings again and finally be able to look around freely without being too overwhelmed. 

He had no idea how he was going to find this Punz guy. 

‘You must be Dream.’ 

Dream jumped and quickly turned around, facing an older looking man with a kind smile and shining eyes. 

‘Y-yeah. That’s me.’

The man wore the signature white armor that marked him as a knight. He also wore an air of confidence and command.

‘Phil said you’d be here today..’ The man offered his hand, which Dream quickly shook. ‘I’m Sir Punz.’ 

_Oh.. This is Punz._

‘Nice to meet you, Sir Punz.’

The older man chuckled, his blonde hair bouncing up and down. ‘You can just call me Punz. If you’d gladly follow me this way, I’ll show you around.’ 

Dream nodded and closely followed behind the knight as he weaved between the crowd. After walking around half the training ground, Punz stopped at a large tent, not hesitating in walking inside. 

Dream followed, curious as to what would be inside. He pushed back the flap and looked around in awe at the number of armor sets and weapons there were. 

Punz was already across the tent, picking up some white armor and passing it over to Dream. He stared at it before Punz let out a little chuckle. ‘Put it on.’

‘I.. Uh, I don’t know how.’ His cheeks turned pink in embarrassment. 

Another laugh was his response as Punz walked forward and took the armor out of his hands. He picked up the torso and walked behind Dream, helping him get it on and clasping the buckles in the back.

This continued for the rest of his armor and by the time everything was on, Dream felt like he would barely be able to walk. The armor didn’t fit him well, all of it just slightly too big. The helmet he wore swiveled around as he turned his head, making Dream have to keep it straight. 

Punz laughed, going to a swords rack and picking up two swords. The blonde walked over and handed Dream one of the wooden swords who took it carefully, arms protesting at the weight of armor. 

Punz just waited patiently, only walking out of the tent when Dream had a good grip on the sword. Dream hurried after the older man, huffing out puffs of breath as Punz hurried towards the center. 

Finally Punz stopped, standing in the middle of a circle outlined by stones. Dream followed, stopping three or so feet in front of him and bending down with his hands on his knees. 

‘Why.. aren’t… you.. wearing..a-armor?’ Dream managed to pant out. 

Punz tilted his head, smile lighting up his features. ‘You wearing armor as a precaution, if I get hurt I’m not concerned.’

‘How are you okay with getting hurt?’

Punz shrugged. ‘I’ve dealt with worse things other than a blow with a wooden sword.’ 

‘Do knights usually get hurt?’ Dream was curious, wondering how strong the white knights actually were. 

Punz hesitated, looking off in the distance for a moment before coming back to the present. ‘I’ve been here a lot longer than the normal knights.’

‘Oh.’ Dream was willing to let it go, noticing how uncomfortable Punz seemed. 

‘I’m the captain.’ 

He froze, trying to grasp what Punz just said. ‘Y-your the captain? Of the knights?’

Punz smiled again. ‘Yes. Now, how about we start some training?’ 

Dream swallowed the lump down his throat and nodded, holding out his sword and trying to mimic Punz’ position. 

The captain held his sword out expertly, shifting into a fighting stance with the weight on the balls of his feet. 

With a sigh, Dream watched as Punz lunged forward and quickly tried to deflect it. His muscles already hurt and Dream knew by the end of the day he wouldn’t feel anything but the burning in them. 

The clanging of two swords was the only sound Dream would hear for the rest of the practice session. 

\--

The sun was just starting to set as Dream dragged his feet inside the castle and towards his room. He had learned a lot about fighting and different techniques to use in battle; he couldn’t stop thanking Punz for teaching him. 

Dream had also learned that he was a lot better with a sword than he originally thought. He was able to hold his own without help for quite a while, something that Punz was very impressed about. 

It was a weird feeling, Dream felt like he had used a sword all his life and yet, he knew he never had before. The clanging of the two swords felt natural and calmed down his nerves, making it easy to parry Punz. 

The clanging was still embedded in his skull even as the quiet of the castle consumed him. His legs felt like jelly and by the time Dream made it into his room, he couldn’t think of anything better but collapsing on his bed. 

Of course, Dream knew he still needed to eat and take a shower - he stunk - before he could actually sleep. He looked sullenly at the bed but pushed back the longing and focused on the bathroom door instead. 

The prospect of a cold shower was becoming as delightful as sleep. 

He was grateful there was already a towel in there because he wasn’t sure he’d make it far enough to find one. 

Dream slowly turned on the shower, sticking his hand in the shower and testing its warmth. After he felt it was cold enough, Dream shakily took off his clothes and walked into the water. A sigh escaped him as his weary muscles met the cold water. 

As much as his muscles hurt, Dream didn’t regret practicing with Punz today. It made him feel like he was a little more prepared for this giant battle in two days. 

_Two days. Why is time going so fast?_

The shower was nice and relaxing, Dream made sure to savor every moment. All the sweat and the grime washed away, never to be seen again along with Dream’s worries and anxieties. 

The looming threat of battle was forgotten and all he focused on was the soothing water and how amazing it felt. 

This continued for a short while until the water started getting too cold, freezing Dream instead of comforting him. This marked the que to get out, which Dream complied too and quickly covered himself up with a towel. 

It was fluffy and soft and he relished in the feeling of it against his skin. Shuffling his way out of the bathroom, Dream headed towards the wardrobe and hoped there was some comfy clothing there. Like always, the wardrobe provided Dream with what he needed; a soft pair of emerald green sweatpants and a simple white t-shirt. 

He carefully put on the trousers then the shirt, throwing aside his dirty clothes from the day. The thought of falling asleep in the comfy bed was taking over his mind again and Dream headed straight for it, ready to get some nice shut-eye. 

His stomach was protesting, rumbling loudly but Dream ignored it. He’d gone to sleep hungry before and knew it wouldn’t kill him. 

Slipping under the covers, Dream stretched out his some-what aching body and let out a huge yawn, a smile slipping on his face afterwards. 

His eyes fell shut gently and sleep came quickly. 

That night, he dreamed of winning the battle and saving Wonderland. All of his new friends by his side, all cheering and shouting in joy. Purpled sat behind him, rumbling loudly in its own way of celebration. 

He felt content and light-hearted, the adrenaline of victory plowing through his veins. The biggest smile he’d ever had was plastered on his face as he joined in with the cheers of his friends.

That’s how Dream woke up, a huge smile on his face and the buzz of adrenaline pushing him out of bed. 

He sauntered over to a small coffee table situated in the room and picked up his task list Phil had given him. He already crossed out **_Talk to Sir Punz_** and **_Train with the knights._** All he had left to do was go to this ‘Ponk’ man and ask George about some gift. 

He had no idea what the gift would be and wondered if it was for him or if he was giving it to someone else. Dream felt like he’d already been given enough; a place to stay, food, clothes, and so much more that he silently hoped it was for someone else. He hadn’t given them anything in return and that was very unfair. 

After folding up the list, Dream went over to the wardrobe and quickly changed. After tucking away the list in one of the pants pockets, he headed out the room and towards the dining hall. 

He expected to see it packed like yesterday, everyone eating breakfast and chatting before their day started. This was not what he walked into, only Phil and Wilbur were in the room; both looking up when he entered. 

‘Morning Dream.’ The cat offered him a big smile and waved his tail. 

‘Good morning Wilbur..’ He looked around, expecting the others to suddenly pop out and surprise him. ‘Where is everyone?’ 

‘They’re already out, lots of things to do.’ Phil smiled and gestured towards a seat next to him. ‘Sit down, you must be hungry mate.’ 

Dream obliged, his stomach was aching and growling at being neglected for so long. Like always, a plate of food was set out in front of him and Dream ate it just as quickly as he ate all the other meals. 

Wilbur and Phil merely smiled at his antics, no doubt getting used to it by now. His stomach happily accepted the food, settling down and no longer growling every 2 seconds. 

The plate was quickly emptied and Dream found himself wishing he could take the cooks with him. 

_Would that be kidnapping?_

The thought crossed his mind before he could react and it had him quietly chuckling to himself as the other two talked. The pair didn’t seem to notice, carrying on with conversation like normal. 

Dream sat at the table quietly, happily listening to Wilbur and Phil talk but also knowing he should get going. He needed to talk to the black smith about the armor, he had no idea how long it would take for it to be made. 

He sighed and stood up, Phil and Wilbur stopping their conversation to offer a quick goodbye and good luck. Dream reciprocated, offering them good luck with their day as well. 

He headed out of the front of the castle this time, stopping at the door and looking around as the chaos below him. The market square was packed full with vendors and people, mindless chattering filling the air. 

Nervousness wound its way through his stomach as Dream realized he had no idea where the blacksmith was. He took a few nervous steps down the stairs, trying to see if he recognized any shop as the black smiths. He had no such luck and with a deep breath, Dream walked into the bustling market of people. 

Instantly he was carried away in a direction of movement, it was easy to tell that standing still was not an option unless you stood in line. All kinds of colors and sounds assaulted him as he walked passed shop after shop, different owners shouting out products and sales. The smells of herbs had him holding a hand to his nose in an attempt to stop the sneezes that wanted to come out. 

Dream was beginning to feel hopeless, there was no possible way he’d be able to find the blacksmith by himself in this chaos. The sound of a voice was a god-send to him and Dream turned to see Tubbo and Tommy running at him with smiles on their faces. 

He quickly cut through the crowd, ignoring any angry remarks headed his way as he did so. Tommy and Tubbo met him half way, smiles still as big as ever. 

‘Hey Dream!’ Tommy said enthusiastically.

‘What are you doing here Dream?’ Tubbo was more laid back, ready to get to the point. 

‘Well, I’m kinda lost.’ He chuckled and the two boys joined him. 

‘What are you looking for, my friend?’ Tommy asked in a more serious note. 

‘The blacksmith, but I’ve no idea where his shop would be.’ They were yelling out the conversation, trying to hear each other over the chatting of everyone around them. 

‘Oh! You're looking for Ponk?’ Tubbo asked and his eyes lit up when Dream nodded. ‘We know where his shop is!’ 

Tommy nodded along. ‘Let’s go!’

Before Dream had a chance to react, they grabbed his hands and pulled him through the crowd. They basically ran, forcing Dream into a break-neck pace as they weaved through different lines and shops. 

It was easy to get lost and Dream realized if they weren’t pulling him along he’d already have lost them. After running around for what seemed like a half an hour, the crowd seemed to thin out. 

Dream’s senses were no longer overwhelmed and he found himself able to breathe again. As this happened, Tommy and Tubbo stopped in front of him, turning around with twin smiles. 

They gestured their hands towards a small stone building, a wooden sign hung from the door saying _BlackSmith._

‘This is where Ponk’s business is.’ 

‘He’s really nice, you’ll like him.’ Tubbo insisted. 

‘Well, we have to go but good luck Dream!’ The taller boy dragged Tubbo away, the smaller boy happily following. 

Dream let out an exasperated sigh before walking towards the stone building and knocking on the closed door. 

There was a small crash from inside and a small curse followed the sound, making Dream cringe. More sounds followed, small and big thumps along with cleaning metal as whoever was inside, made their way to the door. 

Dream waited patiently, amused at what he was hearing. A moment later, the handle twisted and the door was opened to reveal a man with bright red hair and a orange, white, and red mask on.

The man’s eyes lit up and he opened the door wider, gesturing for Dream to come in. 

‘Hello! You must be Dream.’ 

He walked in and looked around, turning at the man’s words, ready to say that yes, he was Dream. He didn’t get the chance, the man continuing to talk.

‘I’m Ponk! Phil told me you needed some armor.’ 

‘Yes.’ He managed out and followed behind Ponk as he closed the door and walked farther into the building. 

‘I already have some made, I think you’ll like how it turned out.’ 

This had Dream pausing, the armor was already made? 

_He doesn’t have my size.. How will it fit?’_

Ponk turned around, eyes as bright as a blazing fire. ‘Stay right here, I’ll get the armor.’ 

‘O-ok.’ Ponk was already gone by the time he replied and Dream had no idea how he felt about the man. 

There was more clanging from a back room Ponk had gone in and Dream just imagined the armor getting all sorts of dents before he even wore it. 

As if reading his mind, Ponk reassured him from the back room. ‘Don’t worry! The armor is fine!’

A second later, the man walked out with a handful of armor and Dream couldn’t help but let out a little gasp as the shiny metal. It was perfect. 

Ponk chuckled. ‘Let’s get this on and see how it looks.’ 

Dream felt like the luckiest man in the world, the armor was perfect and he was sure it would look amazing no matter who it was on.

Dream was starting to feel like a knight, the knight that was in the prophecies and was destined to save Wonderland. 

The Red Kingdom was not going to win this battle… Dream was sure of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **I hope you enjoyed the chapter! I admit, this one was a little rushed and I didn't have time to edit it so I'm sorry for all the mistakes. I don't think it turned out too bad but everyone has different opinions...**
> 
> **Next weeks chapter will be posted on time, this was a one time thing, I promise!**
> 
> **Have a wonderful day everyone!**
> 
> **Sincerely,**
> 
> **Catnip? No Way Man.**


	11. White Knights

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Uhh… hi. I'm alive, just barely. I know I missed a week and I'm really really really sorry. I know it doesn't make up for it and I could give you a 100 reasons why I didn't post last week but I'm not gonna lie to you all.**
> 
> **I hate writing battle scenes. Like despise it. So I've been pushing back these last two chapters because I don't want to write out a battle. Yep. Sorry :(**
> 
> **Anyway, here's the chapter you've been waiting an extra week for!**

The armor fit perfectly, shaping and protecting his body in a beautiful white and emerald mix. The armor wasn’t as clunky and stiff as the practice ones, no metal covered his joints or any places where he needed to move.

Fine pieces of strong cloth covered where the metal didn’t, ensuring there was no place for Dream to get hit easily. 

Dream made sure to praise Ponk over the craftsmanship, the man beaming whenever Dream stated how well his skills were. 

He didn’t want to scratch or dent the armor, carefully packing it up into a box and leaving the blacksmith to his devices shortly after. The market seemed to calm down some, allowing Dream to get to the castle without any major interruptions. 

He carefully walked up the steps and opened one of the giant doors, a bright smile still plastered on his face due to the armor. He couldn’t wait to show the others; he was sure they’d all share his enthusiasm. 

He wasn’t sure what weapons he would get for the battle but at least he had his own armor. 

The walk to his room was silent, save for a maid or two who waved at him happily. He distantly wondered where all his friends were but shook it off, everyone had a lot of things to do before the battle so it shouldn’t come as a surprise to him that they’re not in the castle. 

_Speaking of… I’m almost down with the list..._

While setting the box down on the glass coffee table, nervousness wormed its way into his stomach again. The armor and practice with Punz had helped him tremendously with feeling like someone worthy of fighting in this battle but there was still that small doubt in the back of his mind. What if he failed?

_I’d be dooming Wonderland..._

Dream swallowed and shook his head, trying to shake the thoughts out. He couldn’t think like this, they would win. 

The green eyed man was ready to head out of his room, turning and taking a few steps before he paused at the small knock from the door he was already heading towards. He only stopped for a moment, opening the door and mailing when he had to look down. 

George was standing there, thumping his foot and looking at his signature pocket watch. 

‘Can I help you?

George only sighed, hopping around Dream legs and inviting himself into the room. ‘Since when did you get so… courageous?’ 

George didn’t stop until he was at one of the white chairs, hopping up to it and sitting down. ‘Since I had a time limit.’ The white rabbit held up his watch for emphasis. 

Dream nodded and closed the door, mirroring George by sitting in another chair. ‘What can I do for you?’ 

‘I was sent here to give you a gift.’ George looked to smug, it made Dream instantly suspicious. 

‘Is that so?’ 

George only huffed before he turned to his back and grabbed something. Dream tried to crane his neck to see what it was but the rabbit shooed him off. ‘Just be patient.’

‘That’s fancy coming from you; who’s always in a rush.’ 

He was sent a glare and George finally turned around, holding a box that was the size of his palm. 

_What could be in there?!_

‘Uhh… are we sure it’s for me… You all have already given me so much..’ 

‘Just open the gift!’ George looked more excited than annoyed; Dream happily complied and took the box. 

It felt light and was expertly wrapped in silver paper. He was tempted to shake it but didn’t want to risk the chance of the item being breakable. 

He slowly peeled away the paper until only a normal brown box was left, he made quick work of opening that too. A gasp and laugh escaped him when he saw what it was. He laughed because he thought it was a gag, hence why he gasped because he was also shocked. 

A small, very realistic-looking eye was sitting on a small pillow. It was dark greenish and seemed to be sparkling or glowing somehow. 

‘You got me a fake eye.’ He continued to laugh; slowing to a stop when he noticed George wasn’t laughing along. 

‘It’s not fake.’ George’s furry face remained serious and dread filled Dream. 

He quickly set the box down, his hands feeling dirty. ‘You got me a real eye! Who’s is that and more importantly, why!’

‘It’s okay Dream, we were given consent to have the eye.’ The sentence made Dream want to gag.

‘Why? Why!’ 

‘It’ll help you, during the battle.’ George tilted his head in confusion as Dream continued to shake his head and wipe his hands on any surface available. 

‘What’s wrong with you George!’ 

‘What?’ 

‘What do you mean, what! That is- that is disgusting!’ 

George let out a hysterical chuckle. ‘I don't think I understand… Don’t you have Eyes Of Ender in your world too?’ 

‘No!’ Dream shouted as he stood up and started pacing in the middle of the room. ‘How do yo uneven get their eyes? Why?’ 

‘Oh… I’m sorry, I should've explained.’ 

‘You think?’ It was still a shout, he continued to pace the room but slowed to a stop at the look George gave him. He took a breath and fell into the chair once again. 

‘Eyes Of Ender are from a special species, they have powers. When you throw their eyes, you’ll teleport to wherever the eye lands. They are very rare and hard to get, especially because you need an Enderman’s permission to take them when said Enderman dies.’ 

‘And you want me to have it?’ He asked disbelievingly. 

‘Yes.’ 

‘He sputtered, still shocked. ‘But.. but..’ 

‘If you get into trouble during the battle, throw the eye and it’ll teleport you away.’ 

‘Is it sanitary?’ Dream didn't care that he sounded like a child, this was important to know. 

The rabbit chuckled and hopped off the chair. ‘Of course. Just wear it during battle.’ 

Dream only nodded confusedly while George said his goodbye and quickly left; claiming he had a lot of other things he still needed to do. 

Dream was still stuck on the wearing it part… how could he- oh. He was so worried about the eye being real that he failed to notice the small chain connected to it.

_Great, I’ll be wearing an eye as a necklace._

Dream guessed there were worse things to do.

He set the eye necklace in the wardrobe and walked out of the room, deciding to wander around until supper. 

Time went quick and dinner seemed to go quicker and suddenly that invisible clocking that was always counting down seemed to speed up. 

It’s imaginary clicking pounded in Dream’s head as he lay in his giant bed. His nerves prevented any form of sleep, they only had a day left before the battle. 

Dream didn’t have anything else to do tomorrow and decided his best course of action would be practicing more of the fighting maneuvers Punz had taught him. 

With the promising thought of doing that, Dream’s eyes fell closed and he blissfully let sleep overtake all his senses. 

The sun had barely peaked over the horizon by the time Dream burst into the dining hall and quickly ate his breakfast. No one said anything, Phil, Wilbur, and Sapnap being the only others awake. 

The silence didn’t feel awkward, instead the air of anticipation arose around the four males. 

When Dream finished, he pushed his chair back and got ready to head outside and start practice.

‘Good luck!’ Phil called after his retreating form. He merely offered a brilliant smile in return before walking to the training area that the White Knight’s occupied. 

Punz didn’t seem surprised in seeing Dream and happily lent him a set of armor and a sword. It was like the older man read his mind, not uttering a word as Dream found a quiet spot on the outskirts of the practice area. 

It was easy to remember the maneuvers Punz had taught him and he practiced the mover again until he perfected it or his body gave out at the constant movement. Sweat poured off him in gallons and his body hurt worse then the first time he learned these but Dream didn’t mind. 

The satisfaction of perfecting each move outweighed the exhaustion the overwhelmed most of him. The sun seemed to shine brighter as Dream felt one with nature. The sounds of practicing knights drifted to the background as the sound of his own grunts and distant birds singing was the only sound he focused on. 

No one disutrbed him as he practiced except for Punz who occasionally came and forced him to take a break and drink some water. He silently thanked the man over and over again as the senior knight brought over endless amounts of water. 

The day went by like this, occasional stops reminding him of the time of day. He had a quick lunch and two restroom breaks along with Punz’ visits, the sun rising and setting as each break happened. 

The nervousness that seemed to overtake him time and time again had melted away, revealing a confident and snarky young man who felt like he could defeat Techno’s army by himself if he tried hard enough. 

Never before had Dream seen this snarky, confident, and adventurous side of him but the green eyed man found he liked this side of him. No nervousness or self doubt could reach him; it was like floating on a cloud above everything. 

A cough made Dream drop his sword and swiftly leave his thoughts behind with the item. Turning to look at Punz he smiled and walked over, hand out and ready to accept another bottle over water. He frowned when the man shook his head. 

‘You’ve been practicing all day, I think it’s time to stop.’ 

A part of Dream wanted to scream and beg for another 10 minutes but the logical part of him knew Punz was right. The sun was starting to set and soon he wouldn’t be able to see 2 feet in front of him. 

He huffed and went back to pick up the sword, letting a small victorious smile guide his lips upward when he saw Punz’ laughter. Some instinct in him wanted to make Punz smile all the time, it was a deep feeling that felt like Punz hadn’t smiled enough in the past. 

Dream was surprised to see all the other knights had already left but Punz reassured him it was because they were getting supplies ready in the front of the castle. 

‘Don’t you need to help them, since you're the one in charge?’ Dream asked as he put away the armor and weapon. 

Punz shrugged. ‘Figured I’d get you first, otherwise you’d run yourself into the ground.’ 

‘I never knew I liked fighting so much.’ 

Punz let out another small smile. ‘I was the same way when I was younger.’ 

Dream didn’t know how he let it slip out of his mouth but it did. ‘What was that, a million years ago?’ 

Punz looked at him surprised for a second and Dream’s heart stopped, sure that the elder would yell at him. He was pleasantly surprised by the laugh that bubbled out of the knight, a smile forming on his lips as he laughed along. 

‘Let’s go before the king freaks.’ Punz headed out of the tent and walked towards the castle with a relaxed stance, something Dream envied. 

Now that he didn’t have anything to distract him, Dream was fully aware of what tomorrow would bring and nervous energy fizzed through his veins faster than soda. 

The castle was full of activity; maids and workers sprinting every which way with different objects in their hands. Dream felt bad for them, they must be as nervous as him and still have to work. 

Punz didn’t say anything as he led Dream through the castle. By direction, Dream guessed they were walking towards the front where everyone must be preparing. 

His assumption was correct, all of his friends were there and so were most of the knights. Dream’s friends were towards the front, Phil off to the side pointing and giving directions for where things should go. 

Sapnap was the first to notice him and waved; Punz said a quick goodbye and left Dream to walk over to where his friends stood. 

There were three or four conversations happening between them and Dream gave up trying to follow any of the conversations, instead he started talking to the black haired man. 

‘Hey Sap.’ 

‘Are you excited?’ 

‘Are you?’ Dream didn’t know what to feel; was he excited or horrified? 

Sapnap shrugged and offered a lazy smile. ‘We haven’t had a war in quite some time, at least nothing as serious as this.’ 

‘You fight often?’ 

Sapnap only laughed. ‘I heard you got your armor.’ 

He didn’t comment on the conversation change and decided to follow along. ‘I did. It looks absolutely amazing.’ 

‘I can’t wait to see it tomorrow!’ 

‘Speaking of; when are we leaving?’ 

The crazed man looked at Dream like _he_ was crazy. ‘You had all this time and know you're asking?’ 

Dream’s cheeks reddened and he merely shrugged, shoving his hands into his pockets self consciously. 

‘Well, the battle is supposed to begin around noon so I’d say be here a little after the sun rises.’ 

Dream looked at Sapnap in silent reluctance. Sapnap chuckled and held up his hands, palms out. ‘Don’t blame me, blame Phil.’ 

‘I guess it would take a while to get an army ready..’ Sapnap let out another huff as Dream defended the white king. 

‘Well, I’m not needed for the rest of the night so I’m off to get a snack and then some sleep.’ 

Dream nodded, tempted to join him as the prospect of food and sleep called him. He managed to hold back, wishing Sapnap a good night’s rest and then walking over to Phil. 

The poor king looked frazzled for the first time since Dream’s been here and the blonde man reconsidered going to bed and getting food. Dream didn’t get the chance to decide, Phil noticed him and waved him over. 

‘Hello Dream!’

‘Hey Phil.’ 

‘How did filling out that list go?’ 

‘It went well… I was actually coming over to talk to you about that, if you have time.’ 

Phil managed to smile, even when Dream could see his shoulders tensed up from the stress of running a kingdom. ‘What can I do for you?’

The question that had been plaguing Dream for most of the day finally burst out of his mouth. ‘Why did you give me the Eye, especially when it’s so rare.’ 

Phil chuckled, shoulders dropping just a fraction. ‘That’s what's been bothering you?’ He raised an eyebrow and continued to chuckle. 

Dream felt his cheeks heat up and spluttered out a reply. ‘It’s just.. Well- what if… what if I waste it?’ 

Phil’s face turned serious. ‘You won’t waste it, Dream.’ 

Dream felt like a child, asking for reassurance from a parent. ‘How do you know?’ It was whispered out like a secret. 

‘Because I believe in you. Even if you throw it just to teleport a foot, I will always think it’ll be worth it because _you_ used it.’ 

Dream’s cheeks grew red for a different reason and a warm fuzzy feeling enveloped his chest. ‘Thank you Phil.’ 

‘Your welcome Dream, now go get some rest. You look tired.’ The king offered a genuine smile and turned back to a neglected knight who was forgotten the moment he noticed Dream. 

He turned and bid his friends a quick goodbye before heading to his room, the prospect of sleep outweighing the importance of food. 

He landed on the bed with a thump and promptly ignored how bad he stunk, he’ll get up in the morning and take a shower before they were supposed to meet. 

_It’ll be fine._

Tiredly, Dream remembered to take off his dirty clothes and replace them with something more comfortable. 

Outside, Dream could barely make out the sounds of chattering Knights and a tired king giving directions. The sounds managed to lull him to sleep, his eyes closing and breath evening out. 

The sun wasn’t up yet when Dream woke up, somehow at an ungodly hour without an alarm clock. The comfort of the sun didn’t come as he showered, the cold waking him up for the day. 

As he dried off, Dream kept peeking out to see if he could get a glimpse of the bright circle rising but it never came. He sighed, giving in to that fact that it was too early. 

Once he was dry, Dream was stuck with a towel around his waist, doubt clouding his thoughts. He had no idea if he should put his armor now or wait, if he should go eat breakfast in normal clothes, if anyone else was up- _stop._

_I can do this. I’m ready._

Taking a couple of deep breaths grounded him and Dream carefully put on the thick green shirt and black pants. They were very thick, almost like leather but Dream couldn’t identify what type of material it was. 

Then, he slowly took out his armor and put it on meticulously. It fit perfectly like he expected and did a double check to make sure everything was in place and tight. Dream wasn’t sure how he managed to put it on by himself but felt a glow of pride burst in his chest and the small achievement. 

He picked up his mask, slid it onto his face and set it to the side so he could see properly. The doubt and nervousness had gone away, replaced with courage and confidence. 

He could do this. 

Dream walked out of the room and held up his head, trying to radiate the confidence he felt. The doors to the dining hall seemed brighter and Dream happily pushed them open. A smile lit up his features when he saw most of the seats filled. 

Obviously Tommy and Tubbo weren't there, Phil had banned them from the battle. 

The smile diminished once he noticed the previous chatter that filled the room had quieted. Everyone was staring at him, mouths open. 

‘Uh.. Hi?’ 

Chaos erupted. 

‘Dream!’

‘Look at your armor!’

‘I love your armor!’

‘Good morning Dream!’ 

He shook his head foundly and walked to his chair plopping down and letting a plate be set in front of him. 

‘Leave him be, leave him be!’ Phil scolded the animals and annoyed huffs followed. 

Sapnap - who had stayed quiet throughout the whole endeavor - cleared his throat and lifted his goblet of orange juice, hoisting it in the air. 

‘Today we win over Wonderland and I wouldn’t do it with anyone but this group!’ He put the glass to his lips as cheers erupted, Skeppy jumping on the table and twirling around with a similar cup as Zelk and Bad yelled at him. 

A smile found its way onto his face and Dream picked up his goblet of water, copying Sapnap and drinking it in honour of the make-shift toast the crazed man had made. 

He glanced over to his side at Wilbur, the cat wearing his signature smile as he surveyed the chaos. 

Yes, Dream felt the same way. He wouldn’t want to go to this battle with anyone else. 

Not even his real family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **The End! ...for now.**
> 
> **I don't know how I feel about this one, maybe too rushed? (And short.. I'm sorry about that too) I had to go through a lot of days so the days were a lot choppier than I would have liked. I hope it wasn't too unbearable to read.**
> 
> **And no more procrastinating... I am going to post the final chapter next Wednesday no matter what! I promise you my lovely readers I will!**
> 
> **Anyway, have a wonderful day and stay healthy!**
> 
> **Sincerely,**
> 
> **Catnip? No Way Man.**

**Author's Note:**

> **The End!... For Now.**
> 
> **I hope you enjoyed the chapter and I wanna know what you think about it! Is it something you want to read more of? Have I grabbed your attention?**
> 
> **I’ll talk to you all in the next chapter and I hope you have a wonderful day!**
> 
> **Stay Crazy ;)**
> 
> **Sincerely,**
> 
> **Catnip? No Way Man.**


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